A Meeting of Warriors
by TraceMK
Summary: Scarecrow and Jack West Jr are thrown together in a last ditched attempt to once again save the world with the help of some old friends, as well as some new ones, and healing some old wounds along the way. ***Spoiler Warning for FGW *** Hope you enjoy it.
1. Chapter 1

_**I do not own any of the characters created by the very talented Mr Matthew Reilly, I only hope that I can do them some justice.**_

_**I do however own all the other characters created here. **_

_**Some of you may recognise the "Angel" from one of my previous stories featuring characters from Top Gun.**_

_**Anyhow, I hope you enjoy it and any reviews would be greatly appreciated.**_

_**Cheers TraceMK**_

Nighttime was always the worst because that was when the dream came.

It was always the same, and he always woke up in a cold sweat, the bedsheets twisted and drenched as he unconsciously wrestled the demons that entered unbidden. A scream of horror stuck in his dry throat as he sat bolt upright, trembling from the gruesome images still fresh in his mind.

It didn't matter that he hadn't been present when the love of his life, Libby Gant, aka Fox, was brutally murdered. He had heard enough about what happened from the Black Knight to have ingrained almost every painful detail in to his memory, and these memories came to life every night in the recurring nightmare.

Trapped behind a pane of thick glass, the terrible scene before him seemed to unfold in slow motion. Libby was manacled to what appeared to be a crude guillotine, it's wickedly sharp metal edge glinting under the artificial lights.

He smashed his fists against the glass with all his might, screaming at her to just hang on, he would find a way to get to her somehow. Then the blade began it's deadly decent and she looked at him sadly, her beautiful blue eyes pleading with him to save her, but at the same time resigned to her inevitable fate.

The dream always ended there, just before the blade hit it's mark, while Captain Shane Schofield, aka the Scarecrow, looked on helplessly. He was able to save the world, but hadn't been there to save the life of the woman he loved and he was not sure that he would ever be able to erase the terrible guilt that was eating through him from the inside.

Still shaking, he glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table. 3.52am,it blinked at him, throwing a soft glow across the otherwise darkened room. Not much point in trying to get back to sleep now, Scarecrow thought to himself. He was never able to relax his fried nerves enough after that dream to enable slumber to retake him. He was also a little afraid that the dream would come again, and he was not sure if he would be able to survive it twice in one night.

Wearily, he rose from his bed and flicked on the bedside lamp before heading to the bathroom. He splashed his face with icy cold water from the faucet, enjoying it's refreshing sting. The haunted face that looked back at him from the mirror was one that he was having trouble recognizing.

Dark smudges appeared under his brilliant blue eyes, almost disguising the bottom half of the scars that had given him his call sign. The stubble on his face was thick and unruly and his dark hair was in bad need of cutting.

"Schofield, you are a complete mess." He chided himself aloud. "If Fox was here, she would give you a kick in the ass and demand that you "sucked it up Marine" and got on with it."

Scarecrow smiled at that thought, something he rarely did these days. He left the bathroom and headed for the kitchen in search of a much needed cup of coffee. As he was taking his first sip of the bitter black liquid, the silence was interrupted by the shrill beeping emitting from his little black pager device. Frowning, he dialed the number showing into his cell phone, not realizing that the conversation he was about to have would change the direction of his life, and just might save him from himself.


	2. Chapter 2

At the same time, on the other side of the world, Captain Jack West Jr was enjoying the last rays of the setting sun on his property, somewhere in the middle of Australia.

It had been ten months since he and his team had banished the threat of the dark star that had threatened to destroy earth itself, and Jack had to admit that life was good, quiet by his standards, but definitely good.

He smiled to himself as he heard soft laughter drifting from behind one of the enormous sheds that he and the team had constructed a short way from the house, and wondered for a very brief moment what it could be that had his new wife and adopted daughter so amused. He didn't have to wait long for the answer. A deep roar sounded from the same direction as Lily and Zoe came running around the side of the building with Jack's firm friend and team member Zahir, known to all as Pooh Bear, in hot pursuit.

The two women in his life nimbly mounted the front porch of the main station house and slammed the front door shut behind them, sliding the security bolts and chains in place, all the while trying to stifle the now hysterical laughter that was coming from the other side of the door.

It wasn't until Pooh Bear turned to face Jack that he realized what all the laughter was about. Zahir's pride and joy, his thick black beard, was now colored fluorescent pink and purple.

"I'm telling you Huntsman, those women are out of control." Pooh Bear grumbled as he wandered over to a nearby water tank tap and began the process of removing the colored hairspray from his beard.

"Oh, I don't know Pooh." Jack grinned at his friend. "I think it kind of suits you. Besides, that'll teach you for dozing off in the sun when Zoe and Lily are around and up to mischief."

"I think it's time we started looking for a new project, Huntsman." Pooh Bear stood up straight. "Idle hands make good fodder for the devil, and those two are a living example of that."

Jack's comeback was interrupted by an alarm going off on the wristwatch that was attached to his artificial left arm. The outer security perimeter surrounding the property had been breached.

"Probably just a dingo or kangaroo." Jack muttered as he met Pooh Bears concerned gaze. Neither of them really believed that. The technologically advanced early warning system had been programmed to recognize and disregard anything that could be identified as taking the form of the local wildlife, otherwise the alarm would be going off at all hours.

Jack rapped on the locked door loudly.

"Zoe, open the door, security breach at the outer perimeter." He yelled

"Yeah, right Jack." He never got sick of hearing that lilting Irish accent. "You've just decided to take pity on Pooh Bear and help him exact his revenged on a couple of defenseless girls." The giggles from behind the door increased.

"Number one, when have you and Lily ever been defenseless, number two, Pooh Bear doesn't need my help, he'll get you both back when you least expect it, and number three, when have you ever known me to joke about a security breach." Jack snapped at his wife, almost impatiently. The tone in his voice must have had the desired effect as he heard the bolts slide back and the door swung wide open, concern showing in Zoe's pretty eyes.

"What do you want us to do Jack?" All jokes were forgotten as the well oiled team sprang in to action.

"Can you and Lily head over to the hanger and let Sky Monster know what's going on. I want the Sky Warrior ready to go just in case we need to make a quick getaway." Jack's natural leadership skills kicked in automatically. "When you've found him, head to the eastern perimeter surveillance point and check things out. Lily, stay out of sight honey."

"Yes Daddy." The little girl promised solemnly.

"Don't worry Jack, we'll be careful." Zoe leaned in and gave her husband a soft kiss before taking Lily's hand and hurrying in the direction of the plane hanger to warn the team's pilot about the situation.

"Pooh, can you get Stretch and Astro on the radio. They've been out checking the fences on the northern side of the property. Get them to scan for any signs of trespassers. After that, can you grab the jeep and check the southern perimeter."

"Already on it Huntsman." Zahir took off at a run, loading the glock pistol he had retrieved from the house as he went.

Jack grabbed the ready loaded double barreled shotgun that he always had stowed under the verandah, as well as another glock, and headed first to check the salt mine by the lake. In this salt mine was hidden some of the worlds greatest and most dangerously powerful treasures, and while he still had breath in his body, Jack West Jr was going to make sure they didn't fall in to the wrong hands for a second time.


	3. Chapter 3

Not for the first time in the last twenty four hours, Captain Shane Schofield found himself wondering what the hell it was that he was getting himself in to.

He had to admit that the cryptic orders he had received when he phoned in the page had him both curious and a little bit wary.

And who could blame him for that, after all, the last lot of orders he received had sent him to a little place dubbed "Hell Island", where he had found himself and his loyal team members being used as bait in a deadly military experiment. Still, no mutant gorillas had appeared so far.

In fact, the flight in the sleek, camouflage painted Gulf Stream had been relatively smooth and uneventful.

He had decided against letting his friends and comrades know what was happening. The last thing he wanted was to be responsible for involving them in another disastrous mission. No, he would find out what this was all about before deciding if he would call on the people he cared the most about to help him.

Still, he was comforted by the fact that he could always activate a distress signal on the small but effective locator beacon that he had glued to the skin behind his ear. He knew that no matter where he was, his team would come looking for him, ready for a fight as always.

He had dozed in a light combat sleep for a couple of hours during the long flight, and woke feeling reasonably refreshed.

Glancing at his watch, he realized that they had been in the air nearly fifteen hours. By his reckoning, they had to be somewhere in the southern hemisphere by now.

Either that, or the pilot had been flying in big loops to try and disorient his passenger. A familiar falling feeling in the pit of his stomach alerted Scarecrow to the fact that the little Gulf Stream had begun it's descent.

Curious, he raised the shutter covering the window next to him, only to be greeted with brilliant sunlight and sparkling blue ocean below him.

Squinting because of the sudden bright burst of light, he reached for his trademark reflective wrap around sunglasses and slid them on before returning to the spectacular view before him.

It wasn't long before the little plane reached landfall and Schofield watched with interest as a large metropolis came in to view below him.

He scanned the buildings, looking for any familiar landmark that might give a clue as to where he was.

He saw an arched bridge that looked vaguely familiar, as well as a strangely shaped white building.

Before he could place these landmarks, the little plane was touching down at what seemed to be a large international airport.

He caught a glimpse of the words Kingsford Smith as they taxied away from the main terminal towards a large, nondescript gray hanger with no signage.

The Gulf Stream came to a halt inside the hanger and the copilot opened the exit door and released the stairwell.

Before Scarecrow had barely even unfastened his belt and reached for his duffel bag, he heard footsteps on the stairs, two sets.

He tensed a little, not really sure what to expect, and glanced around him for an alternative means of escape.

He didn't understand the uneasiness he felt, but had learned to trust his instincts a long time ago.

He relaxed a little as two men of about fifty years of age, dressed in khaki uniforms heavily decorated with military insignia, appeared through the doorway.

"Captain Shane Schofield, I presume?" The officer closest to him held out his hand in a welcoming gesture and Scarecrow relaxed a little, trying to place the man's accent.

"Yes Sir." He answered, taking the man's offered hand, followed with a quickly snapped salute as he realized both of these officers held the rank of General.

"At ease Captain" The first man spoke again. "I'm General Paul Smithson and this is General Mike Taylor. We're mighty happy you decided to come and talk to us. Welcome to Australia son."


	4. Chapter 4

Jack approached the entrance to the little salt mine with caution. Everything looked to be normal, but experience had taught him that looks can be deceiving.

Only after he conducted a careful reconnaissance of the surrounding area, did he venture inside the small shaft.

There was a pokey cavern like opening just past the entrance to the mine. Jack paused there, listening carefully. When he was satisfied that he was alone in the mine shaft, he moved to a rough rock formation on the left and pressed a small, almost unnoticeable depression in the centre of the largest rock.

A panel disguised to exactly match the rock's surface slid aside, revealing an array of switches. Jack flicked one of them and the tunnel leading down in to the mine shaft lit up like a Christmas Tree in December.

If there was anyone inside the tunnel, they just got one hell of a surprise, he thought to himself as he again listened for any movement before radioing his team for a situation report.

* * *

Zoe and Lily had arrived at the eastern perimeter surveillance platform in record time, showing little regard for the wellbeing of the all terrain vehicle they had used to get there.

When they were safely inside the elevated bunker,built especially for the purpose of easier surveillance, she raised a pair of high powered binoculars to her eyes, flicking them to infra red to see if there were any unexplainable heat signatures in the vicinity.

Lily was seated at her feet, moving about restlessly as she hated to feel that she was being left out of the action.

Zoe smiled down at her newly adopted daughter, understanding her frustration, but also sharing Jack's deep seated need to be sure that the little girl was safe.

This motherhood thing must be really growing on me, she thought to herself.

"Looks like it's all clear on this side, kiddo." She grinned at Lily and handed her the radio. "Want to let your Daddy know?"

Lily jumped at the chance to be useful, and was about to radio through when the device crackled to life with Jack's voice, requesting them to report in.

"All clear here Daddy, I mean Huntsman." She corrected herself, wanting very much to be considered an active member of the operation.

"That's great honey." Came the crackled reply. "You and Zoe just keep an eye on things out there for another half an hour or so, and I'll let you know when it's ok to head back to the Main house. Well done Lily, we'll make a soldier of you yet."

Lily was fairly bursting with pride after that compliment.

* * *

Stretch and Astro reported much the same from the northern perimeter.

Pooh Bear hadn't checked in yet, as Jack descended into the mine shaft, checking for any sign of disturbance.

He came to a fork in the shaft, and took the left hand tunnel. Another five minutes of walking brought him to a sealed, thick wooden door.

Deftly, Jack programmed a sequence in to the same watch that had warned him of the perimeter alarm, and like magic the strong bolts holding the door in place slid back, allowing him access to the room beyond.

He quickly checked that all was still in it's place.

Inside this room were the pillars and the capstone that had been used to activate the ancient machine that repelled the dark star, all but the final one, which had fallen in to the abyss at the last vertex, along with his father, Jack West Snr, Wolf.

Jack hadn't thought a lot about the death of his father, and wasn't about to start now.

Everything seemed to be in order and Jack's radio crackled to life just as he turned and left the room, resealing the hidden treasures it held inside.

"Huntsman, this is Pooh. I've just arrived at the southern perimeter and I think I've found what set the alarm off." His friend's voice dropped in and out as the signal struggled to reach the radio underground.

"What is it Pooh?" Jack asked, turning to check that the door had locked firmly behind him.

"Well, it appears to be some sort of remote controlled droid, you know, like the bomb disposal units send in ahead of them at a suspected live bomb site." Was the answer that crackled back as Jack felt himself tense up.

"It appears to be rigged up to some sort of timing device and it's just travelling back and forward across the alarm perimeter every couple of minutes."

"Pooh, get the hell back here." Jack West Jr replied urgently.

"Zoe, you and Lily too, as well as you and Astro, Stretch. If that thing is out there, that means that whoever put it there is already somewhere in here.

Keep you heads down and your eyes open. I'll meet you back at the main house."

At that moment, Jack heard the unmistakable click of a safety on a gun being released behind him. A hand reached over and snatched the radio from him.

"I'll take that." A soft voice that Jack didn't recognize spoke from behind him.

"Brilliant deduction , my dear Huntsman, but I'm afraid that it's come a bit too late. Now turn around slowly and throw your weapons away from you.

Don't do anything stupid, I won't hesitate to shoot first and ask questions later."

Jack did as he was asked, he laid his weapons on the ground and kicked them away with his foot, before turning slowly around.

He couldn't hide the surprise on his face as he got his first look at the person who had managed to get the better of him.

Before him was a slightly built brunette woman, dressed in black fatigues. Her long dark curls were pulled back from her face in a no nonsense pony tail.

The fatigues did nothing to hide the sensuous curves of her obviously well toned body. Even in this unlikely getup, Jack could see that she was an exceptionally beautiful woman.

Her heart shaped face was perfectly proportioned and her light olive skin was flawless.

As he slowly raised his hands above his head, he couldn't help but wonder what a woman who looked like that was doing here, dressed the way she was, covering his every move with what looked to be a high powered sniper rifle, with confidence.

But one look at her blue grey eyes told Jack that she was not someone to be underestimated.

If she had wanted him dead, he realized that he would be and that he wouldn't have even known what hit him.

A slight smile played around her full lips as she looked him up and down, mentally sizing him up.

"I didn't think it would be this easy to have the famous Huntsman at my mercy. You are a very hard man to find, Captain Jack West Jr."


	5. Chapter 5

Scarecrow read the last of the top secret files, then closed the folder marked as classified and placed it on the conference table he had been sitting at for the last hour.

The information held inside the folder had been nothing short of sensational.

He and the two generals had been transported from the airport to an army base on the outskirts of Sydney a few hours earlier.

They had been met by a small team of what Schofield could only guess where special forces soldiers, and escorted to an underground bunker deep within the base

that held the large circular meeting room that the three of them were in now.

Fixing his two companions with a steady gaze, Schofield paused for a moment to carefully consider his reaction.

"Gentlemen, that was a very entertaining story." Scarecrow kept his tone of voice neutral. "Much better than most of the books I've read lately.

But even if I did believe a single word of it, I fail to see what it's got to do with me."

"I can assure you Captain Schofield, that every single word you just read about the people and events held in that file is absolutely true." General Taylor stated sincerely.

"What it has to do with you is simple. We would like you to join the team."

"Why?" Scarecrow asked dryly. "It seems to me that they did just fine as they were on their last mission. They did save the world, after all."

"True, they did that, however, another mission awaits them, and it's going to be bigger than any of them could possibly imagine." General Smithson joined in the conversation.

"They are going to need every little bit of help they can get, and that is where you, and anyone you care to invite along for the ride, come in to the equation.

That is, Scarecrow, if you're interested?"

Shane Schofield was interested alright.

If even a quarter of what he had read was true, then he knew he was about to embark on one hell of an adventure.

"Tell me more of what we're going up against, and then I'll give you my decision." Schofield wasn't about to give away anything yet.

He wanted to hear more, even though he was already seventy five percent sure that he was going to accept their offer.

Taylor took a deep breath and handed Schofield another classified file before beginning.

"Well, it's like this, things are about to get complicated for Captain West and his team. You see, there's a woman.............."


	6. Chapter 6

"Seems like you have another advantage over me, other than the element of surprise." Captain Jack West Jr eyed his captor with caution.

"And what would that be?" The dark haired beauty raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Well, you seem to know an awful lot about me, and no offense, but I don't have the first clue as to who you are or what you could possibly want with me." He answered calmly.

"You're right, I do know a lot about you. Congratulations on your recent marriage, by the way."

Jack flinched at that. He and Zoe had been married only recently in a very quiet and private ceremony.

Only someone who had accessed his military files would even know that the wedding had taken place.

"Oh, don't look so worried Huntsman." The woman laughed lightly at Jack's pained expression. "I didn't come here to hurt you or your family."

"Could have fooled me, if you don't mean me any harm, then why did you bring that?" He nodded towards the rifle that was still trained on him.

"Oh this thing, it's just an insurance policy. A small tool of persuasion to encourage your cooperation. If I came here to kill you, believe me, you wouldn't be breathing right now."

"Then what the hell do you want?" Jack raised his voice in frustration.

"I want information." The woman stated.

"Well why don't you tell me what it is you want to know and I'll see if I can help you."

At that moment, Jack's radio crackled to life.

"Jack, it's Zoe, can you read me, over."

"You'd better let me answer that, or they'll come looking for me pretty quickly." Jack stared the woman straight in the eye. The radio crackled again.

"Jack, we're all back at the main house, where are you? Please respond, over."

The anxiety in Zoe's voice was clear as Jack continued his silent challenge with his eyes, and for just a moment, felt like he might be gaining the upper hand.

A small smile played around his captors mouth as she depressed the mike button on the radio, her gaze never wavering from his, as she spoke in to the device.

"Hello Zoe, there's no need to worry. Your husband is perfectly safe and will remain that way as long as you and the rest of your team do exactly as I tell you."

"Who the hell is this, and what have you done with Jack?" The crackly reply screamed down the radio.

"You need to stay calm Zoe. You, Lily and the others just sit tight at the house. I just need to talk to Jack for a little bit, then I'll let him go.

I don't want to see anyone hurt, but I'll do what I have to if you push me."

"How do I know you haven't killed him already?" Zoe had clearly clicked in to professional mode.

The woman depressed the mike button again and held it up in line with Jack's mouth.

"Zoe, it's ok, I'm fine. This charming young lady and I are just going to have a little discussion down here. I'll be home shortly."

Jack hoped that Zoe picked up on his reference to his location in the mine.

The dark haired woman had said she wasn't going to harm him, but how could he trust someone who broke on to his property and had a gun pointed at him.

The crackling stopped as the woman flicked off the power switch.

"Let's have a seat, shall we?" She said, indicating to the dirt floor. Jack slowly lowered himself to the ground and his captor did the same, never taking her eyes off him.

"So what is it that is so important for you to know?" He asked her calmly when they were both settled.

"It seems that you and I have something in common, Jack." The woman stated mysteriously and despite himself, Jack's natural curiosity kicked in.

"And what would that be?" He asked, holding her intense gaze with his own.

"Wolf" She stated simply, watching his reaction carefully.

"What about him?" Jack asked casually.

"Well, you see, I learned not that long ago that the man I always thought was my father really wasn't. Apparently my real father's name is Colonel Jack West Snr."


	7. Chapter 7

" Sit tight my arse !!!" Zoe exclaimed as she paced the length of the verandah at the main house restlessly.

Her Irish accent became much more pronounced when she was angry, and boy was she angry.

She had no idea who was holding her husband, but she had every intention of finding out, and god help the bitch when she got her hands on her.

Pooh Bear watched his friend, her emotional turmoil painfully evident.

"Well, I don't know about you lot, but I do know that if this situation was reversed, and it was one of us being held like Jack is now,

he would not be sitting on his hands being a good little boy and doing as he was told." Pooh stated in a matter of fact manner,

getting to his feet and reaching for his nearby shotgun.

"You got a plan, Bear?" Stretch leaned forward eagerly.

"No, but when have we ever needed one before. We getting pretty good at just making it up as we go along." The big man shrugged.

It was all the encouragement they needed and the team started to mobilize, arming themselves with every conceivable weapon they could quickly lay their hands on.

Lily was instructed to head over to the hanger and wait with Sky Monster until the danger passed.

She was not very happy about being left out of the rescue mission, but begrudgingly did as she was asked.

Like a well oiled machine, they quickly came together on the verandah and were just about ready to leave for the Salt mine

when they became aware of the distant sound of a helicopter's rotor blades.

"Are we expecting any more visitors today?" Astro asked with a raised eyebrow.

"We weren't expecting the first one." Zoe muttered, and clicked her radio.

"Monster, have you got a reading on that bird on the radar, over?" She asked the team's pilot.

"Can do you one better than that Princess Zoe." The big New Zealander answered. "I've got a visual. It's a Black Hawk, looks like Australian Army issue.

Can't tell how many are on board, but it's only one bird. Maybe it's the cavalry coming to back you up, over."

"One can only hope, thanks Monster and keep your eyes open, over." Zoe clipped the radio back on to her belt.

"What do we do now guys?" She asked the three men who had been listening in on her conversation with Sky Monster.

"If I may be so bold as to suggest, Miss Zoe, that you and I continue to the mine on our quest to rescue Jack,

while Astro and Stretch remain here and form the welcoming committee for our latest group of visitors." Pooh Bear spoke up.

"If indeed they prove to be of no threat to us, they can join us promptly at the mine."

"Good plan, Pooh, lets go."

Zoe was already halfway down the steps at the front of the verandah, not bothering to wait for approval from the rest of the team.

Pooh followed quickly, straddling one of the ATV's (All Terrain Vehicles), while Zoe kicked the engine over on the other and took off in a cloud of dust.

Stretch and Astro took up defensive positions on the verandah and settled in to wait for the arrival of the chopper.

They didn't have to wait long.

About two minutes after Pooh and Zoe left for the Salt Mine, the Black Hawk descended and settled in the dirt only metres away from the main house.

Stretch and Astro kept their weapons trained on the bird as the dust it had raised started to settle and a number of passengers began to alight.

Astro's brow knitted in confusion as he recognised the uniform that one of the passengers was wearing as that of the US Marines.

The other two appeared to be high ranking Australian Army officers, and the three were flanked by an escort of four fully armed SAS soldiers.

"Gentlemen, there's no need for weapons, we mean you no harm." One of the officers spoke in a commanding tone.

"I am General Smithson from the Australian Army Special Forces Unit, this is General Taylor and this is Captain Shane Schofield of the United States Marine Corp.

We were hoping to have a word with Captain Jack West Jr."


	8. Chapter 8

"You didn't know, did you?" The dark haired woman slowly lowered her weapon as she studied

the surprised look on Jack West Jrs face.

"Wolf and I weren't exactly on the best of terms over the last few years." He answered her dryly.

"Why don't you try telling me a little bit more about yourself and what the esteemed Jack West Snr

has done this time and I'll see if I can answer any of the questions that I'm sure you must have."

Jack's calm demeanor seemed to reassure her and she gave him a hint of smile before taking a deep breath and launching in to her story..........

Madison Therese Harris was born in a small, bare bedroom in the employee's quarters of the United States Embassy in Florence, Italy.

Her father, John Harris, the man who she until recently believed was her father,

was an Australian Lawyer specializing in International Law, and at the time employed by the US Government as a legal advisor

to it's many embassies.

Her mother Christine, a US citizen, had been working as a secretarial aide at the Italian Embassy when

she met the dashing young Australian Lawyer.

They married after a whirlwind romance of 8 weeks, and little Madison was born almost seven months later.

Her childhood was rich with multicultural experiences as the little family moved from one embassy to the next;

going whereever John's expertise was required.

The little girl was an adept student, undertaking her studies via correspondence.

Madison, or Maddie as her parents called her, had a particular talent for languages,

quickly picking up the native tongue of the many counties she spent time in.

John and Christine were never blessed with other children, and focused all of their attention and energy

on their somewhat precocious daughter.

When Maddie was fourteen, the Harris's decided it was time that their daughter was exposed to a

more mainstream form of education, so the family settled in Sydney, Australia,

with John taking a job at a large, well established legal firm there.

The private North Shore School in which they enrolled their daughter was a world away from the life that Maddie had grown up knowing.

She had always had a relative amount of freedom, and the rules and regulations of the up market ladies college

did not sit well with the free spirited young girl.

Add this to the fact that Madison was blooming in to an exceedingly attractive young lady,

who had just begun to realize the power her looks gave her over men, and you had a ready made recipe for disaster.

After the ninth time of being called out in the early hours of the morning to pick their daughter up from the police lock up,

Maddie's parents were at their wits end.

And so they made the difficult decision to send her to a strict Military School in Florida, USA.

To their surprise, their daughter flourished under the challenging environment.

She graduated with honors, winning a scholarship to Harvard Law, where she spent the next few years.

When she passed the Bar exam, Maddie had any number of prestigious law firms waiting to snap up the attractive young lawyer,

but she surprised them all, as well as her parents, by accepting a commission in the United States Army,

where she undertook special forces training, as well as pilot training on Black Hawk helicopters.

This, coupled with her ability for languages and her knowledge of law, saw her undertaking many undercover operations all over the world.

She had managed to work her way through the ranks and was now a colonel,

spending most of her time flying special ops teams in and out of hot zones with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR),

otherwise known as the Nightstalkers. She operated under the call sign Angel........

"And then, this package turns up out of nowhere, addressed to me, from a man I had never heard of."

Jack's sister gave a slight shake of her head.

"It's full of journals written by a Colonel Jack West Snr, call sign Wolf. There was also a letter, explaining who he was and that I was his daughter."

"That must have come as one hell of a shock to you." Jack gave her a sympathetic smile,

the earlier hostility between them all but forgotten.

"Yeah, you're telling me. When I confronted my parents over it, my mother burst in to tears and ran from the room.

It was up to my father to explain to me that my mother was already pregnant with me when they met,

and they thought it best for me to just grow up believing he was my real father."

A turmoil of emotions raged through Maddie's eyes as she continued.

"Apparently my mother was just a one night fling for Colonel West, and when she told him of the pregnancy,

he laughed in her face and told her to run away and deal with it, he wasn't interested."

"So how did all the journals end up with you then?" Jack asked.

"He outlined in the letter how he had always kept tabs on me as, in his words, I was his blood after all,

and that he had followed my military career with interest. He also said that if I had received the parcel,

then he was dead, and that he had to send it to me to continue his work, as he couldn't trust his oldest child, and that would be you."

"Like I said, my father and I had very different points of view." Jack responded, then looked over her shoulder down the

tunnel as he detected slight movement.

"Oh hell." He thought to himself.

He had been so completely absorbed in Maddie's story that he forgotten that his beautiful wife and the rest of the team

would have immediately launched a rescue operation.

If he didn't act quickly, he was about to lose another one of his siblings.

He reached inside his jacket just as he heard the first retort of a rifle being fired...............


	9. Chapter 9

Captain Shane Schofield's footsteps echoed heavily as he ran full pelt down the narrow mine shaft,

closely followed by Stretch and Astro, as well as the SAS soldiers that had accompanied him to this isolated property.

After they were satisfied with their new visitors credentials, Stretch and Astro had filled them in on the siege in the Salt Mine,

as well as Zoe and Pooh Bears rescue mission.

It didn't take long for Scarecrow to realize that the unwelcome visitor was the same woman the two Generals had told him about.

Without her, this mission would be over before it even started, and judging by her friend's colorful description of that days events,

the new Mrs. Jack West Jr was not in a forgiving frame of mind.

He had to get to Colonel Harris before Zoe did, or everything would be lost.

Schofield rounded a bend in the tunnel and saw Zoe pressed against the dank earthen wall,

taking aim through a scope and about to depress the trigger on a high powered rifle.

Putting on a burst of speed, Scarecrow flung himself into the air, intent on tackling the blonde woman and diverting her shot,

but he was a moment too late.

The deadly sound of gunfire was almost deafening as he made contact and threw the surprised woman to the ground.

Knowing he had failed, he looked up in dismay, hoping that Zoe had missed her target.

To his amazement, the bullet that should have been lodged in it's intended victim by now had seemed to slow down

in mid air and was now curving around the dark headed woman and man sitting in the small opening at the end of the tunnel.

There was a resounding thud as it hit the wall behind them.

Scarecrow didn't have much time to ponder the miracle he had just witnessed,

as the blonde hellcat that was pinned underneath him began to unleash hell.

Maddie heard the click of the safety and barely had time to reflect on her own stupidity before the rifle retorted.

She saw her new found brother reach inside his jacket as she waited for the impact of the bullet she knew was heading straight for her.

Unknown to her, Jack had activated the warbler that he always kept hidden in a pocket on the inside of his jacket.

This amazing invention by his old friend and mentor, Professor Max Epper, dubbed Wizard by Lily,

had saved his ass on more than one occasion and now he prayed that he had activated it in time.

The energy field emitting from the device changed the bullets trajectory ever so slightly and it curved around them,

impacting harmlessly into the mine wall behind them.

Briefly, Jack West Jnr felt a familiar stab of grief as he sent a silent prayer of thanks to his old friend,

no longer with them because of his father.

* * *

"Who the bloody hell is this guy and where the hell is Pooh Bear?" Zoe fought valiantly even though a

far superior opponent outmatched her.

She looked to her left to see Astro and Stretch flanked by four soldiers dressed in black fatigues

who had a good hold on her big bearded friend.

It seemed like their intruder had brought along reinforcements.

Turning her attention back to the man that had her pinned, she was surprised to see him smile at her.

"Now if I let you up Mrs. West, are you going to behave yourself?" The man with the strange scars near his eyes asked her.

"Only for as long as it takes me to get to that rifle and shoot you dead." Zoe spat at him,

trying in vain to break her hands free from the strong grip he had on her wrists.

"That's what I thought you'd say." He said ruefully, turning to speak to the small group standing only meters away.

"Hey fellas, how about a little help here?" He pleaded.

Stretch walked forward, grinning at the compromising position Zoe had found herself in.

"Princess, it's ok, he's one of the good guys. You can let him go now."

Zoe looked at him in complete confusion, then over to where the kidnapper should be lying dead on the ground,

only to see her husband offer her his hand and help her up.

She felt the pressure being released on her wrists and the weight of the man's body roll off her as he moved cautiously to one side,

ready to defend himself at the slightest threat. Zoe threw him a filthy look, stood up and dusted herself off.

With her hands on her hips, she looked straight at her husband.

"Will somebody please tell me what the hell is going on here?"


	10. Chapter 10

A short time later, the unlikely group was gathered around the spacious open plan living area inside the main house, listening intently as Maddie repeated the story she had told Jack in the mine.

"None of this explains why you felt the need to stage your little coup on our property." Zoe glared at her new sister in law, the distrust on her face clearly obvious . She sat herself down on the arm of the chair that her husband occupied and wrapped a possessive arm around his shoulders.

"No, I suppose it doesn't." Maddie sighed. "Though with the setup you guys have here, I could hardly walk up to the front door and knock, now could I." She returned Zoe's glare with one of her own

Shane Schofield looked from one woman to the other, thinking that they looked ready to tear each other to pieces at the slightest provocation. The last thing he felt like doing was breaking up that fight.

"Why don't you tell us your reason for coming here then Colonel." He prompted the dark haired woman, hoping to diffuse some of the mounting tension. Maddie broke away from the glaring contest and turned her attention to his question instead.

"Ever since I received Wolf's Journals, I seem to have a target painted on my back. There have been at least three attempts to steal the journals in the last month and believe me, they didn't care if I was in the way. I tried to track down the lawyer who had forwarded them to me as per Wolf's instructions, only to find out that he had gotten in the way of a dozen point blank hollow tipped bullets two days after he sent the journals. So I guess you could say that I wasn't really sure if I could trust you, so I came prepared." She glanced over at Jack.

"And where are those journals now, Colonel?" General Taylor leaned forward in anticipation of her answer.

"Somewhere safe. I figured if whatever was written in them was so damned important that it was likely to get me killed, stashing them somewhere only I knew the location to was a pretty good insurance policy." Maddie stated. "So I did that, and then went in search of my long lost brother to see if he could give me even the slightest clue as to what I had been dragged into. And so here I am." She shrugged, folded her arms and leaned back in to the easy chair.

"Did you read the journals, Colonel? "General Smithson asked. "Did they mention anything about a dark capstone?"

Maddie was immediately tense, eyeing the officer suspiciously.

"How do you know what's written in them? You would have to have seen them to know that. And how the hell did you and your goons out there know where to come looking for me, or that I even had the journals in the first place." Maddie shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"The lady has a good point General," Jack West Jnr spoke for the first time since arriving back at the main house. "How did you know she had the journals. More to the point, how could you have possibly known about Colonel Harris's connection to me?" Jack didn't like where this was going. He saw General Taylor quietly signal to the leader of the four man special forces squad standing guard at the door. As one, the small squad moved inside the house and raised their weapons, taking the group inside by complete surprise.

General Smithson sighed as he stood, his six foot four frame looming large as he approached Maddie. Jack glanced around the room, watching as his team ever so cautiously began positioning themselves around the living area in the formation they had practiced so many times before, preparing for a situation just like this. Under the guise of shifting in his seat, Jack slid his hand down the side of the seat cushion and withdrew the pistol that he knew was planted there and waited to see what the next move would be.

"I had hoped that you would be cooperative and we could avoid any unpleasantries, Colonel Harris." The General continued. "I am now ordering you to disclose to me the location of those journals."

"With all due respect, General, you can go screw yourself." Maddie spat at the imposing man. His face began to turn red as he grabbed her arm and jerked her roughly to her feet.

"That's insubordination Colonel, and also disobeying a direct order from a superior officer. Captain Schofield, would you please restrain Colonel Harris. She will be returning with us to assist in the search for the dark capstone, along with Captain West and the rest of his team. Gentlemen, would you do the honors." He addressed the now armed soldiers, nodding in Jack's direction.

"I don't think we'll be going anywhere with you, General." Jack West Jnr met the General's angry stare with a cold one of his own. "And my sister won't be either. I don't know what's going on here, but I don't think any of us are inclined to accept your very kind invitation." Jack drew the pistol and aimed it directly at the middle of the big man's forehead. The rest of the team moved as one as they also rescued weapons from covert hiding places around the room, and joined their leader in the stand off.

"Now let Colonel Harris go General, and I might just let you and the rest of your team get back on your helo in one piece."

"Captain West, you realize that this is tantamount to treason?" General Taylor attempted to regain some control of the situation.

'Somehow I don't think either of you would be in too much of a hurry to drag me in front of a military tribunal. " Jack half smiled. "I mean, you'd have to explain what it is you were doing here in the first place then, wouldn't you? Now let her go, I won't ask nicely again."

General Smithson savagely shoved Maddie at Shane Schofield. He had to grab her around the waist to prevent her from falling. This situation was turning bad very quickly, and Scarecrow was beginning to wonder what the true agenda had been right from the start.

"Get the girl out of here, Captain. We only need her. It would have been helpful to have Captain West and his team along, but it seems that we will have to muddle through without them. Gentlemen, clear the room, with extreme prejudice." The General dropped suddenly to the floor and out of Jack's sights as he rolled behind the couch for cover.

Scarecrow covered the woman he was now holding by wrapping his arms around her and dropping to the floor, protecting her body with his while waiting for the automatic fire to begin from the special forces guys. To his surprise, nothing happened and he looked up from his position to see all four soldiers twitching in pain on the ground and a little girl and a big bearded man standing in the doorway, holding two recently fired tazar guns each.

"Still think I'm too little for the dangerous jobs, daddy?" Lily grinned as her father kicked the weapons out of reach and the rest of the team subdued the two generals.


	11. Chapter 11

Captain Shane Schofield had a decision to make and he had to make it fast. He had believed when he agreed to this mission that he was fighting for the right side, now he wasn't so sure. His sense of duty was telling him that he should be doing whatever he could to help the two Generals whose command he was supposed to be under, but his gut feeling was telling him a completely different story as he slowly got to his feet and cautiously assessed the situation that had unfolded.

Two of Jack West's small group were busy securing the hands and feet of the now helpless special forces soldiers with flexicuffs, while the others had moved the two generals to a corner of the room and had them well and truly guarded.

"So what do we do with Captain America over there, Huntsman." The man who had introduced himself as Stretch nodded in Schofield's direction. Scarecrow tensed as Jack West Jnrs steady gaze turned towards him.

"Cuff him, we'll put him in the basement lockup with the others." Came the cold reply. Schofield quickly appraised the room as Stretch approached him. If he could make it to the chopper, he could get out of this hellhole, but he was vastly outgunned and outnumbered. Silently he cursed himself for yet again blindly trusting in what his superiors had told him.

"Don't even think about making a run for it." Zoe Kissane's broad Irish brogue held a threatening note as she lowered her weapon in line with Schofield's chest. "You'll be dead before you take two steps. Now put your hands on your head and cooperate, and you won't get hurt." The dangerous glint in her eyes convinced Schofield that resisting wasn't going to do any good as Stretch began to frisk him for weapons, then roughly pulled his hands behind his back, tightening the flexicuffs just enough so that they bit painfully in to his wrists.

At that moment, Scarecrow became aware of movement beside him. The dark haired woman he had thrown to the floor only moments ago was standing close beside him, her arms outstretched waiting patiently to be cuffed as well.

"Maddie, what are you doing?" Jack asked her in surprise.

"Well, if you are going to pass judgement on the good Captain here without allowing him so much as an explanation as to how he became involved in this whole mess, then I'm going with him. Go on, cuff me too and show me the way to the basement. Sounds a bit kinky if you ask me, do you have whips and chains installed down there Zoe?" The woman shot a sizzling smile in Scarecrow's direction and winked at him, clearly enjoying the chaos she was now creating.

"Can I please shoot her now, Jack?" Zoe pleaded, not at all amused by her new sister in law's idea of a joke.

"Back down Zoe." Jack shot his wife a warning look, a little bit worried that she might actually go through with it in her current frame of mind. "Why the sudden change of heart Maddie, I thought you weren't going anywhere with these guys."

"With those guys, not on your life, though I get the feeling that Captain..Schofield isn't it?" She glanced at Scarecrow for confirmation and he nodded in reply. "Right, that Captain Schofield doesn't mean us any harm and doesn't really fully understand the situation he has found himself in. I think he deserves the chance to defend himself before we condemn him."

Jack fought hard to suppress the smile he felt coming to his face.

"Bloody lawyers." He grinned at his sister. "Alright Maddie, have it your way. Consider yourself officially appointed as defense counsel for Captain Schofield here and if I don't like what he has to say, I might just let Zoe shoot both of you." Jack laughed out loud when his sister proceeded to poke her tongue out at him.

With a swift movement, she removed a knife from a pouch strapped to her thigh and cut through the flexicuffs binding Schofield's wrists. She leaned in close to him, her warm breath tickling the side of his neck.

"Make it good Captain, or I think we're both in all sorts of trouble." She smiled reassuringly at him, and Scarecrow got the briefest impression that the dark haired beauty might actually be flirting with him. What he found hard to comprehend was the undeniable feeling that he hoped that she was.


	12. Chapter 12

An hour later, Scarecrow found himself a fully-fledged member of Jack West Jnrs merry little band of warriors.

His simple explanation as to how he had come to be at the remote property was readily accepted and Jack had been swift to recruit him for what was unexpectedly turning out to be their next mission. The small group had secured the two generals and their entourage in the secure lock up that Jack had built underneath the main house and were now gathered back in the lounge room preparing their next move.

"I guess before we decide on anything, we really need to see those journals." Jack began. "Maddie, how quickly can we get our hands on them?"

"About as quickly as it takes you to go back down the mine and unlock your little secret chamber." Jack's sister grinned at him, a look of smug satisfaction briefly crossing her face, as he looked at her confused.

"Don't look so surprised, brother dear." She laughed. "While you were checking that all your precious artifacts were safe and sound, I snuck in behind you and stashed the journals. I figured that would be as safe a place as any for them."

"Well, what are we waiting for then Daddy, let's go and get them." Lily jumped up and down in eager anticipation of the beginning of another adventure.

"Lead the way kiddo." Jack laughed at the excited little girl. "Pooh, you, Astro and Stretch stay here and make sure our visitors don't try to stage an escape while we go and pick up the journals."

* * *

Unable to wait until they returned to the main house, Lily sat on the floor of the secure room at the bottom of the salt mines, poring through the journals that had once belonged to colonel Jack West Senior, better known to them as Wolf. Jack and Zoe read along with her over her shoulder, while Maddie and Schofield stood back a little.

The first few journals were detailed accounts of the missions they had already taken part in. Jack was a little surprised at just how much detail his late father had known about their movements, though he supposed that he shouldn't have been. It explained how Wolf had always seemed to manage to stay that one step ahead of them.

The last journal began with some notations and drawings regarding a relic called the dark capstone. There were photos inserted of some old stone tablets clearly written in Toth, an ancient language that only Lily and her brother knew how to decipher.

"Can you make out what they say, sweetheart?" Zoe asked Lily as the little girl frowned as she read.

"Well, as far as I can tell, and this photo isn't very clear, the tablet is describing an evil dark twin, but it isn't talking about the dark star." Lily began. "It clearly makes a reference to a second dark twin that has been activated now that the great machine has been put in to motion. There's something about it's powers being opposite to it's golden brother, with catastrophic consequences, and that's about all I can read. I wonder where these photos came from and whether we could get a hold of the tablets. I could probably tell you more then." The little girl was clearly frustrated at the lack of information she was able to obtain from the photographs.

The entry regarding the dark capstone and the photographs were the last entries in the journal, the rest was blank. Lily closed the cover feeling a little bit despondent.

"It's fine honey, you did great." Jack placed his hand reassuringly on his daughter's shoulderand gave it a light squeeze. 'Boy, what I wouldn't give to be able to show all of this to Wizard right now."

"Did you say Wizard, as in Professor Max Epper Wizard?" Maddie interrupted suddenly.

"Yeah, the one and the same." Jack answered. "Why do you ask?" Maddie reached over and took the journal from Lily's small hands.

"I just remembered, when I was looking through this journal, I found a secret compartment in the back cover which hid a couple of extra pages." She fiddled with the journal for a moment and the back cover sprung open, revealing some additional loose leaves. "It didn't mean anything much to me at the time, but I think it could be relevant now. There, details on a Professor Max Epper, aka Wizard, and his assistant, an Ashley James, and here, these look like copies of somebody's notes."

She handed them over to Jack and Zoe.

Jack recognized Wizard's handwriting straight away and frowned in confusion.

"So Wizard knew the whole time about the possible existence of this dark capstone, and that by activating the machine, we were going to set a whole new set of potentially disastrous events in motion?" Zoe was as confused as her husband. "Why wouldn't he have told us about it?"

"It seems to me that you can ask all the questions you want of a dead man, he isn't going to answer them." Scarecrow spoke quietly as he pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning on and with renewed determination in his stride, headed towards the doorway of the little underground room. "Let's ask someone who may be able to actually give us some answers. It's time to find Ashley James."


	13. Chapter 13

Dr Ashley James cautiously turned the page on the centuries old manuscript with a pair of specially designed tweezers. The papyrus pages of the ancient Egyptian tome had degraded to an off yellow and the ink that had been made of water mixed with soot and vegetable gums had faded away to a light gray. It never ceased to amaze Ashley that these early forms of communication could stand the test of time so well.

She studied the hieroglyphics closely, so completely absorbed in her work that she didn't register the phone on the wall above her as it rang out three times. Her long slender fingers were covered in gloves so that there was no chance of any oil accidentally being transferred to the precious document. She absentmindedly blew at a long strand of red hair that had fallen across her vision. She had pulled her hair back into it's customary ponytail before beginning work on the document, but there always seemed to be some strands that managed to escape, only adding to the slightly disheveled air that their owner so often portrayed.

Ashley had never put much store in appearances. She didn't see the point in makeup and perfume in her field of work. She had plenty of opportunity to glamour up at the many university and museum functions that she was compelled to attend because of her position as assistant curator of the Smithsonian American Natural History Museum in Washington DC. This complete lack of self-consciousness made her more attractive than she could ever realize.

A southern belle hailing from Louisiana, she was tall and slender with a flawless alabaster complexion and lustrous, long red hair that almost glowed in certain lights. Ashley would never be short of admirers, if she could be bothered to notice that they were there. Archeology had always been her first love, and she felt privileged to be trusted with the loan of the precious documents and artifacts from the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities to study and catalogue.

The insistent buzzing of the intercom that connected the climate-controlled room she was working in with the rest of the building interrupted her concentration. With a sigh, she closed the protective cover over the manuscript and walked to the buzzer.

"Virginia, I thought I told you that I wasn't to be disturbed." Her usually soft southern twang held a slight note of annoyance.

"I'm sorry Dr James, came the crackling reply through the intercom's tinny speakers. "There is a gentleman here who is insisting on seeing you straight away."

"Well, tell him to make an appointment like everybody else and come back." Ashley shook her head in frustration. These young interns that were given to her to help with the administrative side of her job were getting even more clueless, if that was at all possible.

"I tried that, Dr James, but he is refusing to leave." Virginia's voice wavered a little.

"Well, call security and have him removed from the building." Ashley turned to resume her work. Probably just another wealthy philanthropist who thought that his latest donation to the institute gave him some sort of god given right to have her at his beck and call. She had just settled in to her seat when the speaker crackled to life again.

"Oh for god's sake." Ashley muttered out loud, ready to tear strips off the young intern when a male voice came over the intercom, taking her by surprise.

"Dr James, I appreciate that you are probably very busy at the moment, but I have an extremely urgent matter that I need to discuss with you." Ashley frowned, trying to place the man's accent.

"Look, I'm really sorry, but I'm unavailable for the rest of the day. Why don't you make an appointment with Virginia and come back tomorrow." Her tone remained polite, but underneath, Ashley was seething at the impudence of this intruder.

"I understand Dr James, but this really can't wait that long. My name is Jack West, Max Epper was a dear friend of mine." Ashley winced in pain at the mention of her late mentors name. "Perhaps Max may have mentioned me?"

"I know who you are, Captain West." Ashley answered quietly. "But I fail to see how I can be of any assistance to you." She was not at all sure that she wanted to meet the man that she held partially responsible for the death of her dear Max.

"I think you can, it's about the research Max was doing before he left for our final mission. I need to know what you know about the dark capstone."

The statement was met with a deathly silence that lasted a full two minutes, followed by the unmistakable hiss of the vacuum chamber separating the research room from the outside world.

"Alright, Captain West, you win. You have ten minutes."


	14. Chapter 14

Ten minutes later Dr Ashley James exhaled the breath she had been unaware she had been holding and collapsed back in to her leather office chair.

"How the hell did those copies get out of here?" She mused aloud, not speaking to anyone in particular. "Max always kept them under lock and key, not even I knew the combination of the safe room where he kept his research documents. We had to get security guys in to remove the locks when he died so I could get access."

"I'm not real sure how they came to be in Wolf's possession," Jack answered quietly. "Suffice it to say that he had a particular talent when it came to accessing classified information."

"So you're saying that you believe that Max's theories about the Dark capstone might actually prove to be true?" She asked, her tone of voice a little skeptical.

"Everything else has been, so I have no reason to doubt him on this one."

"So, how is it you think that I can help you, Captain West?" Ashley leveled her stare at the handsome man on the opposite side of her desk, her hostility only faintly veiled. "It seems to me that you have already worked out what's going on here, so why aren't you off on another one of your famous adventures? I thought saving the world was your specialty."

"To be honest, Dr James, we're not real sure where to start, and we were hoping that we might be able to take a look at Wizard's, I mean Max's, research documents on the topic to see if we can come up with anything." The earnest expression on his face took Ashley by surprise and she had to look away, her eyes resting on his artificial arm. She reached out as if to touch it, and then quickly withdrew her hand.

"Max made that for you, didn't he?" She asked quietly.

"Yes, he did. I lost my arm when Max and I rescued Lily, my daughter, from a volcano." He watched the attractive red head carefully. "You cared a lot for him, didn't you?"

"He was the closest thing I ever had to a father." Ashley whispered, trying to hold back the sob that was threatening to escape her.

"And you think it was my fault that he died." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes, Captain West, I do." Ashley shook her head slightly and rose from her chair, signaling that the conversation was over. "If you'd like to come with me, Captain, I'll take you to the safe room where I keep all of Max's research. Take all the time you want, take copies of whatever you need, and then get the hell out of here." Her back was rigidly straight as she opened the door and left the room, not bothering to check if Jack was following her.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry that I couldn't save him." Jack said softly to her retreating form.

"Come on Lily, we're up sweetheart." Zoe smiled at the pretty little girl as she snapped her cell phone shut. "Jack has convinced the good doctor to allow us access to Wizard's research files and he needs help. This is likely to be a big job, so Lily and I will take the first shift with Jack. The rest of you stay here and grab some sleep while you can."

The team had commandeered a small two bedroom apartment in Georgetown DC, owned by a friend of Shane Schofield's. David Fairfax worked for the Pentagon in the Cypher and Cryptanalysis Department, and was the reason that Jack and the team had been able to locate Ashley James so quickly. When Scarecrow had briefed him on the basics of their mission, he had willingly offered his apartment for them to set up a headquarters of sorts.

The apartment door closed silently behind Lily and Zoe. Pooh, Astro and Stretch headed for the master bedroom to catch some much-needed shut eye. Sky Monster had elected to stay with his beloved Sky Warrior, just to make sure she was ready to go when they needed her, or so he said. Maddie was already quite comfortably snuggled up on the sofa dozing, so Schofield headed for the quiet sanctuary of the tiny second bedroom.

It was the early hours of the morning when Maddie was woken from her slumber by the sounds of somebody in distress. She quickly flicked the safety off her ever-ready Glock, pausing to allow her eyes to become accustomed to the darkness before investigating the noises that were now getting louder. They were coming from the direction of the second bedroom.

Cautiously, she made her way to the door and opened it a tiny crack. The room was dark, and it sounded like a struggle was going on. She slipped inside the room, ready to confront whomever the attacker was. To her surprise, Schofield sat bolt upright in bed, a silent scream stuck in his throat and a look of absolute horror frozen on his face. There was no one else in the room and Maddie realized that he was in the throes of a nightmare, and a really bad one at that. He was covered in sweat, and not yet fully awake. Briefly, she wondered what demons were torturing him as she moved quickly to the bed, sitting down beside him and wrapping her arm around his shaking shoulders.

"Shane," She whispered, giving him a gentle shake. "Shane, wake up. Come on honey, it's only a dream, you're ok."

He turned to look at her then, still shaking, his brilliant blue eyes bright with unshed tears. As the fog of sleep lifted, so too did the grip of the night terrors. He seemed a little confused at first, but that soon turned to self-consciousness as he realized that she had just witnessed him at one of his weakest moments.

"Are you alright?" She asked him, lightly massaging his shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a bad dream." He whispered hoarsely. "Thanks for coming in and checking on me." A weak smile faltered across his handsome features.

"Whatever it is, it can't hurt you now." Maddie gently took his hand, shocked at how cold it was. "You should try and get back to sleep."

"I never sleep after that dream." Scarecrow stated, the bitterness in his voice unmistakable.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked him, a little worried about his current state.

"Maybe another time." He smiled gratefully at the beautiful brunette sitting next to him, her genuine concern evident on her delicate face.

"Well, would you like me to stay while you try and get back to sleep then?"

Scarecrow hesitated briefly. It had been a long time since he had shown any form of vulnerability to a woman, but something deep inside him told him that this time it was ok to let go of control for a little while.

"Yeah, I think I would." He said gently, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her down on to the bed with him as he lay back on the pillows. She wriggled in closely and snaked an arm across his bare chest, her head resting on his shoulder. The faint smell of her perfume dulled his senses as he felt himself relax and sleep begin to overtake him again.

"Thanks Angel." He whispered to her.

"Any time Shane."

For the first time in two years, Shane Schofield slept through the rest of the night undisturbed.


	15. Chapter 15

"Daddy, this is hopeless." Lily cried in despair. "I can't make head or tail of even a quarter of this stuff. The bits I can make out are what we already know. I'm so sorry Daddy." The little girl was on the verge of tears.

"It's ok honey." Jack encouraged as he hugged her close. "You're just tired, we all are."

"Jack, maybe we should head back to the apartment and get some rest." Zoe suggested gently. "We're not going to make any progress when we are all this tired, and look, the sun is coming up."

Jack West Jnr glanced out of the window, surprised to see the first gentle rays of dawn peeking through the trees outside. They had worked through the night; no wonder Lily was so beat. Jack had to admit defeat, picking a very sleepy Lily up and wrapped his other arm around his wife as he and Zoe locked the safe room behind them and made their way to the foyer of the museum.

Ashley watched on the closed circuit security screens as the guard unlocked the front door and let the small, dejected looking group out in to the brisk DC morning air. A small niggle of something like guilt plagued her as she saw the hire car leave the car park, heading north towards the Georgetown area.

She had caught a few hours sleep on the comfortable couch she kept in her office for those late nights where she couldn't be bothered driving home, and had risen an hour ago to monitor Jack West Jnr's progress. Ashley had known that they wouldn't find anything, but she had to admit that she had been curious about the little girl and just how much she understood of the ancient texts. Max had spoken of her abilities many times with a certain tone of wonder. The amount she had been able to manage to decipher had been impressive; to say the least, but any further efforts would be futile without the Ancient Legend that was the Key to deciphering the rest of the artifacts.

Sighing heavily, Ashley made her way to the south corner of her office. She knelt down and pulled up the edge of the carpet, revealing a sturdy floor safe. Dialing in the combination, she felt the door click as it opened, allowing her access. She reached in and pulled out an object the approximate size of a manila folder, covered in thick cloth, and carried it to her desk.

Carefully, she pulled back the soft muslin to reveal a chalky stone tablet with strange inscriptions carved in to both sides.

She remembered the first day she had uncovered the ancient tome, in an old crate in a dusty corner of the museum warehouse when she was cataloging a host of items. At first, she hadn't realized what it was, and had put it aside for further inspection. It was only when she got it back to her office that she realized that the inscriptions closely resembled some of the items she and Professor Epper had worked on from time to time. Ashley grew more and more excited as it dawned on her what she had discovered. This tablet was a Cypher Legend. A keystone to deciphering some of the most complex ancient languages, thought to be lost for all eternity.

She had carefully wrapped the tablet in a protective cloth and placed it in to her floor safe to show Max when he got back from his latest ridiculous adventure. She remembered thinking at the time that someone of the Professors age and standing should not be traipsing all around the world chasing rainbows. If only she had known then that he would never get the chance to see what could possibly be one of the most important archeological finds of modern times.

Ashley was torn by the choice she knew she would have to make. Every fiber of her being resisted giving any sort of assistance that would encourage Jack West Jnr and his team to continue the ridiculous quest that had cost her dear friend his life. But what if Max had been right. What if she stood by and did nothing, all the while withholding the information that could help them find the location of the dark capstone and save the world from destruction.

Silently, she cursed Max, Jack West Jnr and the rest of the stupid mixed up universe for forcing her in to this situation.

The first rays of sunlight filtered through the tatty blinds of the small bedroom in the Georgetown apartment, rousing Captain Shane Schofield from a deep, restful slumber. He was instantly aware of the warmth of another body pressed in to his side, and the memory of the early hours of that morning came flooding back to him. Maddie's soft dark curls had escaped the band she had tied them back with and were spread across his chest and arm as she lay still, peacefully sleeping beside him.

Not wanting to disturb her, Scarecrow stayed where he was, enjoying the intimacy that came with sharing his bed. A slight stab of guilt hit him as he realized that when he woke, his first thought had been of the dark haired beauty in his arms, and not of Libby Gant. A small smile crossed his face as he wondered what Mother (short for Motherf----r), one of his closest friends and comrades would say. She had been telling him for six months that it was time for him to move on, but Scarecrow hadn't been ready to let Libby go. He wondered what had changed. He barely knew the girl sleeping beside him, yet she made him feel safe.

Maddie stirred in his arms as the rays of sunlight played on her pretty face. Her eyes flickered open, immediately alert as she leaned up on her elbow and smiled at him.

"So, did you get back to sleep or have I kept you awake with my snoring all night." She joked easily.

"Now that you mention it..." Schofield joined in the fun, gently teasing her, enjoying the little pout that formed around her mouth at his playful insult.

"Well that's a lovely way to thank a girl for keeping you safe and warm through the night." Maddie pretended to be offended, but made no move to get out of the bed as he tightened his grip around her waist, pulling her in even closer to his side. For reasons he couldn't understand, he wasn't ready to let her go yet.

"I'm sorry Maddie." He smiled at her softly. "I was only teasing you. I can't even begin to thank you enough for what you did for me last night."

Maddie felt her pulse quicken as his fingers began to softly caress the outside of her thigh. The guy was seriously attractive. The fact that he didn't seem to realize it made him even more appealing. His brilliant blue eyes locked with hers and she knew she was lost as he tangled his hand in her hair and pulled her down towards him, their lips meeting in a hesitant, soft and tender kiss.

An insistent pounding on the bedroom door broke through the spell of their intimate moment as Pooh Bears booming voice announced that it was their shift at the museum.


	16. Chapter 16

Mike Evans was bored. He was seriously bored. He threw the rubber band ball he had made against the wall again and briefly considered shifting the trash basket across the room and starting a game of bin basketball just to break up the tedium. The monitors surrounding his console flickered silently, emitting an almost eerie green glow as the massive computers sifted through data being received from all over the country.

"Six years of hard work and study at college for this." Mike muttered bitterly to himself and his captive audience of machines. The graveyard shift at the National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colorado, was a long and lonely one. NEIC was the main data collection center for all seismic activity across the United States. Mike had graduated from college the previous fall, majoring in Geology, and had at first been excited to land a position with the prestigious organization. The gloss had well and truly worn off after six months on the graveyard shift and Mike once again wondered when he would be allowed to join the teams out in the field, where the real work was going on.

"They could train a monkey to monitor this" He said to the blipping screens surrounding him. "God, now I'm talking to the computers. This night shift stuff is really starting to get to me." Mike grinned ruefully as he turned to tear off the latest data print and file it in the appropriate location. He had barely gotten to his feet when alarms started sounding and the printer began going crazy with readouts.

Mike rushed back to the screens to try and pin point where the data was streaming in from. This looked big, really big. After about thirty seconds of off the scale activity, everything calmed down again. Mike tore the data reports from the printer excitedly. He stared in disbelief at the reported location of the activity. Rubbing his eyes in case they were playing tricks on him, he scanned the report for a second time, then reached for the telephone and dialed in the number for the shift supervisor.

"Impossible!" His colleague exclaimed after studying the read outs that Mike had handed him. "There must be a glitch with the measuring equipment. The last activity of any kind in this region happened way back in 1906 and the volcano in that area has been extinct for tens of thousands of years. I'll get a team up there to check out the gear in the morning."

With that, the shift supervisor went back to taking care of much more important things, and Mike returned to the predictable boredom of his shift and his rubber band ball.

* * *

Not quite twelve hours later, in the high plains area of New Mexico, a National Parks Ranger was halfway through the third tour for the day of the Capulin Volcano.

The group of about twenty tourists from all over the United States and other parts of the world had marveled at the spectacular panorama that unfolded before them during the one-mile hike around the outer rim of the long dead mountain peak. The walking trail offered three hundred and sixty five degree views encompassing the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains of New Mexico. After giving the group a brief history of the site, it was time to take them down the quarter mile trail in to the volcano's crater.

"Um, excuse me." One of the Japanese tourists stammered in halting English as he tugged on the Rangers shirtsleeve to get her attention. "Is that normal?"

The Guide looked in the direction that the tourist had pointed in and was surprised to see a small column of what appeared to be steam rising from the bottom of the crater.

"I'm sure it's nothing." the Ranger reassured the group. "As I mentioned at the start of the tour, this volcano is perfectly safe and has been extinct for many thousands of years. You would be in more danger of running in to a black bear or a mountain lion than anything happening ..." Her platitudes were interrupted by an ominous rumble that seemed to come from deep within the bowels of the earth itself.

Alarmed, she glanced over at the road that allowed vehicles access to the summit of the ancient peak. It seemed to be undulating like a long black snake winding it's way around the mountainside. To her horror, the road began splitting apart, opening up a wide chasm directly in the path of an approaching tourist bus. The driver slammed on the brakes as the front wheels of the vehicle slid helplessly over the edge of the canyon. The bus came to a stop, teetering like a seesaw between safe haven and complete disaster.

The Ranger held her breath as she watched passengers kicking out the back window and escaping through the emergency exit at the rear of the bus. Her relief was short lived though, as the ground beneath their feet began to shake and she realized that her tour group was on the verge of panic. Another fissure of steam exploded from within the crater of the volcano as she calmly turned to the terrified tourists and shouted a single instruction.

"Run!"


	17. Chapter 17

"So tell me again what it is we are supposed to be looking for?" Shane Schofield ran a hand over his short dark hair, his feelings of frustration evident after five hours of plowing through boxes and boxes of notes and journals but turning up nothing useful. "I think you might be reading that upside-down by the way." He grinned, waiting for a reaction from his dark haired companion. She didn't keep him waiting for long, the journal she had been reading from suddenly launched across the table, only missing him by the slightest of margins.

"You're hilarious Schofield." The look she gave him was bordering on smoldering and Scarecrow felt a surge of desire run through his body as he recalled how delicious her lips had tasted earlier that day.

"Are you still with me sunshine?" Maddie laughed as she launched another missile at him, waking him from his daydream. The look on his face told her that he had other things on his mind and she shifted slightly in her seat. She had to admit that she was tempted, but they had a job to do and she couldn't afford any distractions.

"Why don't you make yourself useful and try and scare up some coffee for us, and maybe something to eat." With that, she turned her attention back to the box of notes she was working through, playtime obviously over.

Scarecrow stood and stretched his cramped muscles, then leant over the small table they had been working at until his face was level with the dark haired beauty, only millimeters separating them. Her blue gray eyes flashed with mischief as she met his gaze. A slight smile played on Schofield's face as he held her captive for a moment, leaning in a little closer. Maddie's lips parted slightly in anticipation of what she thought was about to happen.

"Chicken Shit" was all she heard him whisper as Schofield straightened and headed for the door, quickly closing it behind him. He laughed out loud when he heard a resounding thud from something heavy bouncing off the other side of the door, closely followed by a muffled string of colorful cursing.

* * *

Dr Ashley James watched the dark haired man cross the foyer and leave the building, disappearing in to the early afternoon sunshine. She waited a moment to be sure he was really leaving the premises. Satisfied as she watched the car leaving the parking lot, she made her way to the safe room in search of the woman who had arrived with him earlier that day.

A soft knock on the door of the safe room was followed by the handle turning. Maddie didn't even look up from the document she was focused on.

"That was quick." She said. "Please tell me you didn't raid the museum vending machines. The food in them is probably as old as some of the exhibits."

"Um, I'm sorry to disturb you Colonel Harris." Maddie looked up in surprise as the red headed museum curator they had met that morning appeared in the doorway.

"You're not disturbing me Dr James." She greeted the woman with a warm smile. "Is there something I can help you with?" Maddie watched closely as the other woman entered the small room, her demeanor uncertain.

"Please, call me Ashley. May I sit down?" A nervous waver was in her voice as she reached for the chair.

"Of course, and it's Maddie. Sometimes it's nice to drop all the military formalities." Maddie kept her tone reassuring as she indicated to the empty seat. "So what can I do for you Ashley?"

"Well, it's probably more a case of what I may be able to do for you."

"I'm listening."

A few minutes later, Ashley had explained about the existence of the stone cipher tablet, and how it would probably assist Lily in deciphering the information about the Dark Capstone. Maddie leaned back in her chair, conducting her own silent scrutiny of the red headed woman opposite her.

"Well, aren't you going to say something?" Ashley laughed a little nervously, uncomfortable under the cool level gaze she was receiving.

"And you're telling me this now? Why? You could have saved us considerable time and effort if you had just given this information to Captain West when he first came to see you." Maddie kept her tone level, disguising the annoyance she felt underneath. Looking at the other woman through narrowed eyes, a thought occurred to her. "That is, unless you have a problem with Captain West?"

The slight flush of red that came in to the face of the woman across from her told her all she needed to know.

"You're right, I don't entirely trust Jack West." Ashley had the good grace to admit the truth.

"And yet you trust me? You don't even know me." Maddie raised an eyebrow.

"Not necessarily, but you're an outsider. You had nothing to do with what happened to Max." Ashley continued cryptically. "And besides, if I'm going to help you and Captain West, there will be a condition attached, otherwise the deal is off."

"And what condition is that?" Maddie was beginning to lose patience.

"That I go where the cipher stone goes." Ashley stated, crossing her arms and glaring defiantly at the woman across the table from her.

"Why on earth would you want to do that?" Maddie asked her, surprised by the unexpected request.

"I need to see for myself why it was that Max was so devoted to Captain West and his crazy missions to save the world. Maybe then I can make some sense out of his passing. Besides, if Max's theories on this so call Dark Capstone are true and I stood by and did nothing to help, well I don't think I could forgive myself. So there you have it, you want the Cipher Stone, then we come as a package deal." The tone in Ashley's voice allowed for no argument.

Maddie was quiet for a moment, as if considering her options. Slowly, she rose from her seat.

"Have it your way, Dr James." She said quietly. "But just so we're clear, I can in no way guarantee your safety on this mission, or that we'll even succeed. If you're ok with that, I think I'd like to call Captain West now and let him know about this development."

"Go ahead and make your call." Ashley replied calmly. Inside, however, her stomach was churning with turmoil. She desperately hoped that she had made the right move and wondered what in the world it was that she was getting herself in to.


	18. Chapter 18

"I don't like it Madison. I don't trust her." Jack West Jnr ran his good hand through his short dark hair.

"Funny that, she said exactly the same thing about you." Maddie answered him flippantly. "We really weren't left with a whole lot of choice, brother dear, so you're just gonna have to suck it up."

With that, she uncrossed her legs and made her way towards the rear end of the Sky Warrior to join the red headed woman who had just been the topic of their conversation.

Zoe watched the dark look that clouded her husbands handsome features as he watched his sister's retreating back. She leant forward and placed a reassuring hand on his knee.

"Don't let it bother you baby," She gave him a winning smile and he felt himself relax a little. "I don't trust either of them, so if they give us any trouble, we can always tie them up and shove them in the cargo hold."

"That's not a nice thing to say about your new sister in law honey." Jack teased her gently.

"You've only got her word for that." Zoe reminded him quietly.

Twenty four hours had passed since Dr Ashley James had revealed the existence of the Cipher Stone to them. With access to it, coupled with her unrivalled knowledge of ancient languages, Lily had quickly been able to fill in the blanks of her translation.

What she discovered had them heading for New Mexico, straight towards an area that had very recently been evacuated because of a now active volcano.

Apparently, deep within the bowels of the Capulin volcano lay the first clue to the location of the Dark Capstone.

"It had to be a volcano, didn't it?" Jack West Jnr glanced ruefully at his artificial arm.

* * *

The Skywarrior's spotlights lit up the now deserted darkened road that led to the base of the until recently extinct mountain.

Jack surveyed the scene of destruction below him from the copilots seat, where he had moved to when Sky Monster had begun his descent.

The flashing lights of local law enforcement, as well as the National Guard could be seen forming a ten mile safety perimeter around the still rumbling peak. Visibility was severely affected from the ash and molten rock that escaped from ever widening fissures at the top of the volcano.

This worked partially in their favour as Sky Monster activated the cloaking device on the aircraft, and they were able to slip by the authorities unnoticed.

"I wouldn't put her down too close if I were you Monster." Jack suggested as another spurt of glowing rocks lit up the night sky.

"Don't worry Huntsman, I'll keep her at a safe distance." The big New Zealander gave his leader a wide grin. "She'll be ready to go when you are."

The blackened plane touched down on the bitumen smoothly, slowing to a halt about five miles from the threatening volcano. The ramp to the cargo hold opened, and two small all terrain buggy's sparked to life, racing toward the base of the mountain.

* * *

"You people cannot be serious!" Dr Ashley James exclaimed as the small group of adventurers skidded to a halt at the base of the shuddering mountain. "In case it has escaped your attention, that is an active volcano in the throes of am imminent eruption and you are going to do what?"

"Go inside." Captain Jack West Jnr stated, grinning at his wife, a familiar surge of adrenaline beginning to pump through his veins, as he knew it would be through hers. "You are welcome to wait here with the vehicles if you like Dr James." Throwing a brief glance in the red headed woman's direction but not waiting for an answer, he, Zoe and Lily began pulling climbing gear and other equipment out of the vehicle.

Satisfied that they had all they would need, Jack reached in for one more thing, his trademark fireman's helmet. Similar items were being retrieved from the other vehicle as Maddie, Scarecrow, Pooh and Astro geared themselves up. Stretch had elected to stay behind with Sky Monster to protect the Sky Warrior from any unwanted attention.

Ashley hesitated, reluctant to leave the relative safety of the all terrain vehicle as she nervously eyed the narrow crack about one third the way up the mountain that Captain West hoped would grant them entrance in to the depths of the volcano.

Lily had deciphered the location of the entrance from the ancient tomes, and the small fissure looked to be located in the correct position. She shook her head, these people were all completely crazy. She wondered, not for the first time, what Max would have done in her place. She knew the answer to that already, he would have gone charging on in, right by their side, with no thought for his own safety.

Ashley wasn't sure that she had that much nerve. Captain Schofield and Colonel Harris had already begun the ascent towards the fissure, with the rest of the small party following close behind them.

The ground rumbled ominously underneath Ashley's feet, making her decision for her. No way was she hanging around here by herself. Leaping clean over the side of the all terrain vehicle, Ashley hot footed it after the others. She'd take her chances in the belly of the beast.

"Hey, wait for me." She called out, scrambling over the loose rocks and running as fast as she could to catch up.


	19. Chapter 19

A cloud of dust swirled across the parched ground as a second Black Hawk helicopter settled itself in front of Jack West Jr's home. Four armed men clad in black and wearing balaclavas alighted, making their way to the first chopper, finding it deserted. They carefully swept it for explosives or any kind of booby traps. Finding it clear of any dangers, they conducted a quick examination that determined that the aircraft had been sabotaged. Various wires had been ripped loose and now hung in a tangle underneath the main console.

One of the men spoke briefly in to his throat mike, advising that a tech team would be required before the bird could be flown again. Two men in overalls emerged from the second chopper carrying tool boxes and got to work on the stricken helo while the original team of four cautiously approached the homestead.

An minute LED camera was slid under the front door to check for any immediate threats. It's operator switched the vision to infra red to show any laser alarm beams that might be otherwise invisible to the naked eye. Satisfied that the entranceway was clear, they picked the lock and proceeded to clear the house room by room.

It was soon evident that the occupants were not in residence as the men continued to search for their objective. A dull thudding noise echoing through the floor boards caught their attention. There had been no evidence of a staircase leading below the house, so now the men knew they were looking for a trap door. It took some time to locate, as it was cleverly concealed in the floor of the built in cupboard of the master bedroom. Again they deployed the LED camera to alert them of any traps, again they found nothing.

The leader of the small team opened the trap door and lowered himself into the darkness below. He swung the beam of his powerful flashlight around the subterranean enclosure. The seven men that were held there covered their eyes as the sudden brightness blinded them. The team leader spoke into his throat mike.

"Objective secured." He reported in as he proceeded to free the two Generals and his fellow soldiers.

While the tech team finished up the repairs on the stricken helicopter, General Smithson was barking orders down a satellite phone.

"Dispatch a team to New Mexico immediately. These are the coordinates. I want the woman and the girl captured as soon as possible. See to it that no harm comes to them. No no, we'll come to you."

At that precise moment, a small alarm was sounding on the wristwatch of a man who was scaling the side of an active volcano on the other side of the world.

* * *

Jack West Jnr glanced at the alarm that was sounding on his wristwatch. Unknown to their unwelcome visitors, opening the trap door to the cellar had set off the silent alarm that was now reaching Huntsman.

"Looks like our houseguests are leaving honey." He grinned sideways at Zoe, who was climbing beside him, and helping Lily negotiate the sharp incline.

"Do you think it was something we said?" Zoe quipped back.

"Maybe they just weren't happy with our level of hospitality. There's just no pleasing some people.

Jack pulled himself on to the ledge that ran level with the fissure he hoped would grant them entrance to the volcano, then reached down to help Lily and then Zoe up. Maddie and Schofield were busy clearing debris from the entrance and Pooh Bear and Astro were a few meters below the ledge keeping a close watch on Ashley James as she struggled to keep up, slipping and sliding on the loose rocks on the side of the mountain.

Lily immediately moved to the rock face on either side of the fissure, pulling back the small plants that had made themselves a home there. It didn't take long to find what she was looking for. She turned to her father with a triumphant smile.

"This is it Daddy, look, the Dark Capstone Symbol." She pointed to a carving that had been made long ago in the dark volcanic rock.

"Well done sweetheart." He congratulated her. "Looks like this is the right place team. Let's see what's inside."


	20. Chapter 20

The narrow fissure leading in to the volcano was about three feet wide and about seven feet high. Captain Jack West Jnr stepped into the darkness with no hesitation. He switched on the flashlight mounted on his fireman's helmet and took Lily's small hand in his. She stepped into the passage with him unquestioningly. Zoe and the rest of the team followed closely behind.

After having followed the narrow passage for approximately three quarters of a mile, Ashley James was beginning to feel increasingly claustrophobic. She knew she couldn't turn back as she was sandwiched between Astro and Pooh, but she could feel her panic rising as she envisaged the walls beginning to close in on her. The heat was stifling and the air smelt stale, and Ashley began to wonder, not for the first time, what on earth had possessed her to insist on joining these insane people on their foolish treasure hunt.

Just when she thought she wouldn't be able to take it any more, and felt a scream of frustration rising from deep within her, the passage way widened ahead of them and they were greeted by an eerie red glow. Stepping out of the oppressive tunnel and on to a large circular ledge, Ashley could only stare at the scene in front of her.

A stone bridge spanned a huge chasm before them, supported by enormous smooth pillars that rose out of a slow flowing river of glowing red lava. The bridge joined a conical shaped tower that had a spiral staircase carved in the side of it, curving it's way like a stone serpent around the outside of the tower until it disappeared in to the parapets at the pinnacle. The entrance of the bridge was flanked by two black stone tablets with strange inscriptions on them. Ashley recognized them as being them same type of text on the cipher stone and the photographs from Max's research.

Lily removed the cipher stone from her backpack and ran her fingers over the ancient inscriptions. Symbol by symbol, the hidden message came alive to her as she began to relay the information to her father.

"It says that the first section of the map that will reveal the location of the Dark Capstone lies at the pinnacle of the tower, but to reach it, you must prove yourself worthy of the knowledge by passing three tests on your journey. Only one person can attempt the journey, or all will be lost." She began.

"Traps." Jack and Zoe both muttered at the same time.

Lily moved to the stone tablet on the other side of the bridge entrance.

"Each of the tests represents one of the three sections of the map. When you pass these three tests and have the first section of the map, it will reveal to you the location of the second section, and the second will reveal the location of the third. " The little girl continued her translation. "Only when all three pieces are reunited, will the location of the Dark Capstone be revealed. It says to move to the base of the tower for further instructions."

"Well I guess we're going across then." Jack smiled at his daughter. Her uncanny abilities still constantly amazed him.

"Jack, I'll stay here as rear guard if you like." Zoe offered, knowing that her husband would be the one to traverse the traps, as he had so many times in the past. "It pays to expect the unexpected."

"I think I might stay with you." Ashley's voice was a little shaky. If they had to make a quick getaway, she didn't want to have a river of lava between her and the passageway to freedom.

Jack gave his wife a gentle kiss. "Anyone else want to stay behind with Zoe?" he asked the rest of the group. He was answered with a unanimous no and the little group made their way on to the ancient stone expanse.

* * *

Zoe watched with tense trepidation as the figures grew smaller and smaller before reaching the far side of the stone bridge without incident. Only then did she allow herself to relax and exhale the breath she had been holding. She looked around the large circular ledge she was standing on.

Dr James had made herself as comfortable as possible, seated on the ground right next to the passageway, her back leaning against rock wall. Zoe scanned for the best vantage point, where she could would have an uninterrupted view of both the passage and the bridge, whilst providing her with some cover. She wasn't really expecting any unwelcome visitors, but it never paid to be careless. They had learned that lesson the hard way.

She decided on some large boulders to the left of the passageway. She would be obscured from the sight of anyone emerging from the tunnel, while still able to see everything that was happening on the tower and bridge. She motioned for Dr James to join her and turned to clamber over the boulders and safely in to her hiding spot.

Too late, she heard the contact of metal on stone and barely had time to grab Ashley James and throw them both to the ground as the stun grenade exploded at their feet, rendering them both unconscious.


	21. Chapter 21

The thick walls of the tower completely muffled the sound of the grenade exploding, meaning that the rest of the team remained unaware of the danger that Zoe and Ashley were now in. They had moved through a massive stone archway and in to the base of the amazing structure. Peering upwards, the building appeared to be about ten stories high. The inside walls were completely smooth, meaning that the only way to reach the top and the first piece of the map was via the winding stone staircase on the outside of the structure.

Jack and Lily made their way cautiously to a gilded alter that stood in the centre of the cavernous room. A black stone tablet the same size as the two that flanked the entrance to the bridge lay on the alter, covered with a thick layer of dust. Jack signaled to his daughter to wait at the foot of the alter while he ascended the three stairs and retrieved the tablet.

Gingerly, Jack tested the first of the three steps. Nothing moved, nothing sprang out at him. Feeling a little more confident, he put his full weight on the bottom stair, but remained ready to jump or run if a trap was triggered. Nothing happened. He tested the second stair with the same result, and then the third. Turning to shoot a confident smile at Lily, Jack West Jr reached on to the alter and lifted the black stone from it's resting place. That was when all hell broke loose around him.

As soon as the weight of the stone was removed, the alter itself disappeared from sight, tumbling into a deep abyss directly below the cylindrical structure, leaving a gaping hole where it had been standing. The sudden movement almost made Jack overbalance and follow the alter into the darkness. He heard Lily screaming for him as he managed to right himself just in time to watch the same thing happen to all the little square pieces that had made up the stairs he had just ascended. The only thing that remained firm was the area he was now standing on. Jack wasn't going to wait around to find out how long that was going to last. He turned quickly and leapt off the third stair back on to the flat ground, just in time to watch what remained of the stairs disappear into the now gaping hole. Lily threw her arms around her father.

"That was close Huntsman." Pooh Bear stated in hushed tones.

"You're telling me." Jack breathed a sigh of relief as he handed the black stone tablet over to his daughter. She wiped the dust aside with a cloth from her backpack and a moment later, let out a small giggle

"What's so funny kiddo?" Jack asked.

"Well Daddy, you just passed the first test." The little girl told him. "It says here that if you are now reading this inscription, then you clearly have the capacity to follow instructions and therefore have passed the first test, a test of intelligence. If anyone else had gone with you to retrieve the tablet, then you both would have fallen in to that hole." A small shudder passed through Lily at the thought, as she continued to decipher the ancient symbols carved in to the stone.

"The next test is one of speed and endurance. It says that to reach the pinnacle and attain what you seek, you have to be quicker than time, I wonder what that means?" The little girl mused.

"I'd say that it's a timed trap, and that I have to keep ahead of it to reach the top." Jack encouraged her to go on. "What about the third one honey?"

"The third one is a test of courage. Only the courageous shall attain what they seek, as well as retain what they seek in the descent from the pinnacle." Lily was starting to get worried now.

Scarecrow had been listening and watching intently. Quietly he approached Jack and Lily.

"I'll go." He offered simply. "I'm fit and fast, and you've got a lot more to lose than I do." He said, looking at Lily pointedly.

"I appreciate the offer, but this is what I do best." Jack smiled his thanks and then crouched down to be level with Lily. "Don't worry honey, this will be a walk in the park."

* * *

Zoe groaned a little. As she started to come around from the shock of the stun grenade blast, she became acutely aware of pressure on her chest. Opening one eye, she could see a black combat boot pressing firmly in to her, making it impossible for her to move, not that she could have anyway. She glanced sideways to where Ashley James still lay blissfully unconscious beside her. At least she was still breathing, Zoe was relieved to see.

A gruff voice above her was speaking quietly in to a hand held radio.

"Sir, we have captured two women. Yes Sir, standing by for the image to come through. Right, got it. No Sir, she is not one of the women, we have a blonde and a redhead." The soldier waited for instruction from the voice on the other end of the radio. Zoe heard crackling, then a cold hard voice came through the static.

"Kill them both, I'd say the blonde is the troublesome Mrs West and the redhead will be the good doctor. We have no further use for either of them. Your instructions are to capture the woman and the girl, and Captain West if possible. The rest are to be dispatched with extreme prejudice." Zoe racked her befuddled brain to try and place where she had heard that term. She tried to move, but thanks to the after effects of the stun grenade, coupled with the pressure on her chest, she was completely helpless.

The soldier shot an evil smile at his two companions.

"Seems a shame to just waste them like this. We could have had some fun with them first." He licked his lips, leering at Zoe and Ashley. His comrades laughed at his suggestion.

"You heard the boss, he said to kill them. It wouldn't be worth the risk."

Zoe heard the click of a safety being released and opened her eyes. If she was going to die here, she wanted to look her killer in the face before he pulled the trigger. She lay still, waiting for the bullet she knew was coming for her.

She heard the retort of a gun echo through the cavern, expecting that it would be the last sound she would ever hear. To her surprise, her would be murderer's head exploded above her, scattering blood and brains all over her. Before they could react, both of his comrades were hit by a hail of bullets, both dead before they hit the ground.

Zoe became aware of footsteps running back across the bridge towards her. She struggled to focus as her savior reached her and dragged her to safety behind the outcrop of boulders before returning to move the still unconscious Dr James. As her vision began to return, Zoe realized that she was looking at her sister in law.


	22. Chapter 22

While Lily was busy deciphering the inscriptions on the black stone tablet that her father had retrieved, Maddie had decided to do a quick security sweep of the cavern. She walked back through the enormous archway and on to the edge of the bridge, raising her high powered Night Vision Goggles to her eyes to assist her. She didn't really expect that there would be any trouble as Zoe had the entrance well and truly covered and would have alerted them if anything unexpected was happening.

She did a quick sweep of the cavern walls, making sure that nothing seemed out of place, then she focused on the circular ledge where Zoe and Dr James were guarding the entrance. What she saw through the lens chilled her to the bone.

Instead of the two glowing body outlines she had been expecting, Maddie now saw five. Two were lying motionless on the ground, and three were standing over them. She hesitated for a split second, weighing up the alternatives in her mind. Then she saw one of the standing figures extend his arms, assuming a firing position above one of the still bodies on the ground. Maddie raised her rifle and trained the scope on the outline, aiming for a kill shot.

"Shane, trouble." She yelled calmly before depressing the trigger. The sharp retort of the discharged weapon brought Shane Schofield to her side at a run. "Cover me." She glanced over at him, and then began to sprint across the bridge. A volley of shots echoed over her head and she saw the other two figures collapsing to the ground as she drew closer to the ledge on the other side.

The sudden burst of gunshots echoing throughout the cavern brought Jack, Lily and the others running to the doorway where Shane Schofield had positioned himself to provide Maddie with cover fire and despatch two of the three hostiles.

"What's happening?" Jack West Jnr's voice was filled with concern as Scarecrow followed the movement on the ledge through the scope on his rifle.

"We've got company, and they're not all that friendly." He answered, his eye not moving away from the scope. He watched as Maddie dragged the two stricken women to safety behind some rocks, then trained the crosshairs back on the entrance to the tunnel they themselves had walked through not so long ago.

"Zoe." Jack exclaimed and went to make his way down the small stairway that led to the stone expanse that was separating him from his wife. A strong hand on his shoulder stopped his progress.

"I'll take care of this Jack, you go do what you need to do. You have no idea how much time this will take, or how much time we have, so just go." The calm, level tone in Captain Shane Schofield's voice was reassuring enough to make Jack hesitate, then the earpiece for the communication radios crackled to life.

"Huntsman, it's Angel. Princess and the Doctor are aok, just a stun grenade. Scarecrow, more hostiles imminent, request immediate backup, over." Maddie's hushed tones held an underlying current of urgency.

"Ok, Astro, you take up this post and cover me till I'm across the bridge. Pooh, you go with Huntsman and Lily and cover them while they get this thing done." Shane Schofield quietly assumed control of the situation. "And Jack, you'd better see about finding another way out of here. Something tells me that there will be a not so friendly welcoming party waiting for us at the other end of that tunnel."

Jack West Jnr nodded his agreeance, took Lily's hand and made his way back inside the tower, closely followed by Pooh, while Scarecrow ran across the stone expanse to join Angel with Astro watching his back.

* * *

"Ok honey, what now?" Jack smiled at his daughter, trying to hide the anxiety he was feeling now that he knew they were working on borrowed time.

"We look for a way to the top of the tower." Lily quietly answered.

There were no obvious staircases inside the huge cylindrical building so Jack and Pooh agreed to split up to cover the enormous circumference in half the time. After about fifteen minutes of finding nothing but smooth sheer walls offering no kind of footholds for climbing, the little group regathered at the main entrance archway.

"Well, looks like there's no way up on the inside, so I guess we're just gonna have to try the outside." Jack's face was set in grim determination. They walked back through the doorway and onto the circular ledge where Astro stood with his rifle trained on the tunnel entrance. A small ledge barely wider than an average foot span protruded from each direction around the structure.

"This looks like it." Jack stated. he crouched down until he was at eye level with Lily. "Honey, you stay with Pooh Bear while I look for a way up there. Be back before you know it." He hugged her to him. Lily clung fiercely to her father for a few seconds, then bravely took Pooh's hand, determined that she would not let him see her cry.

Jack pressed himself up against the side of the structure as he gingerly began to slide along the narrow protrusion. He was not quite out of sight when he heard Lily's voice calling to him.

"Daddy, it's light! , light is faster than time, so look for the light." She cupped her hands in front of her mouth. Jack gave her the thumbs up as he continued on his precarious journey.

When he was about a quarter of the way around the structure, the echo of gunfire reverberated around the cavern again, but there was nothing he could do to help, he couldn't turn back now. He had to have faith that Scarecrow and the rest of the team had things under control. After about ten more minutes of sliding along the narrow ledge, Jack found what he had been looking for.

A series of haphazard hand and foot holds consisting of bricks placed at right angles to the rest of the structure wound their way up to the apex of the monalith. Jack studied them for a moment, pondering on what Lily had said only moments before. Light, he had to look for light. And then he saw it, a small beam of light that split off four ways, highlighting what could serve as two footholds and two handholds. Jack didn't believe in coincidences.

He reached above his head, gripping on to both the hand holds before lifting his feet off the ledge and on to the footholds. Then the strangest thing happened. The four beams of light moved as if by magic from the bricks he now clung to and highlighted another four above him and just off to the right. As Jack pulled himself up on to the next four, he felt an ominous rumble from just beneath his feet. He looked down to see that all of the protruding bricks below him were starting to withdraw in to the wall of the structure itself. Obviously he wouldn't be getting back down this way, he thought to himself as he looked to where the rays of light would guide him next.

Just as he was moving to his next safe footing, Jack felt the bricks supporting his feet begin their journey to return to the main wall. He quickly pulled himself up on to the next level. It appeared that he was going to be racing whatever mechanism was retracting them as he frantically searched for the thin beams of light above him.


	23. Chapter 23

"So how many more of these turkeys do you think they're going to send out here." Captain Shane Schofield asked, grinning wryly at his companions.

"I don't know, maybe they think we could do with the target practice." Zoe loosed another round from her sidearm at a shadowy figure peering out from the tunnel. She was rewarded with a groan of pain as her bullet hit it's mark. She had recovered quickly from the effects of the stun grenade, and was now crouched side by side with Maddie and Schofield behind the rocky outcrop. It provided them the perfect vantage point for picking off any emerging enemy troops.

Dr Ashley James sat off to one side, still groggy from being knocked unconscious by the blast, but otherwise essentially uninjured.

"Maybe they're just waiting us out, trying to draw our fire and hoping we will run out of ammo sooner rather than later." Scarecrow mused.

"If it were me, I'd have tossed a couple of tear gas canisters out here by now, and then just stormed the place." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Maddie regretted saying them.

"Shit." All three exclaimed as one as they knew it would only be a matter of time before the enemy did just that, and there would be nowhere to go to escape it. They sat silently for a couple of moments, each of them trying to formulate a plan of escape.

"Zoe, do we have any explosives on board?" Maddie broke the silence suddenly.

"Yes, Pooh is carrying plastics. We never know when we may need to create a hole where there was none when we are on a mission." Zoe answered her, a slight smile forming around her mouth.

"I wasn't thinking of creating a hole." Maddie grinned at her. "I was thinking of filling one in actually. Shane, if Zoe and I cover you, do you think that you can get Ashley over the bridge, grab some plastics and line, and get back here in one piece?"

"Piece of cake" Shane Schofield shot her a confident smile. "And here I thought you were going to ask me to do something difficult."

"Alright smart ass." Maddie quipped back. "Just keep your head down."

"Oh, she does care." Schofield skillfully dodged the well aimed slap travelling towards the back of his head and scooted over to where Dr James was resting.

"Ok Doc, you up for a little afternoon stroll?" He asked the redheaded woman. She was clearly badly shaken by her experience, her normally alabaster complexion now looked a little grey, and he could see she was having trouble controlling the trembling in her hands and legs, but to her credit she got to her feet, a determined expression set on her delicate features.

"Lead the way Captain." She said, her calm voice not reflecting the bundle of nerves that were making her feel ill inside.

"I'll radio ahead and let Pooh and Astro know what's going down." Zoe said as she began speaking quietly in to the throat mike.

Scarecrow instructed Ashley to stay close by him as they headed out on to the ledge and he would cover her with his body, then to get on to the bridge in front of him and run as fast as she could. He would defend them from the rear while Maddie and Zoe provided them cover from the ledge and Astro from the other side of the expanse. As he moved around to the edge of the rocky outcrop that had been their haven, he felt a hand grab his. He turned slightly to see a look of concern in a pair of blue grey eyes.

"Shane, I meant it, be careful." Maddie whispered to him, squeezing his hand.

"Don't worry Angel." He smiled at her, gently caressing her cheek with his other hand. "You're not getting rid of me that easily."

With that, he linked arms with Ashley James and they crept out on to the ledge, ready to make a run for the stone bridge.

* * *

Huntsman closed his mind to the muscles in his arms and legs screaming in protest as he continued his perilous ascent to the apex of the tower. The hand and footholds seemed to be receding at a steadily increasing pace, or perhaps that was just fatigue playing with his imagination. He wasn't sure which it was and he wasn't about to put it to the test.

Steadily he moved upwards for what seemed to him like an eternity until finally the handholds ceased and he had reached the edge of what he hoped would turn out to be the apex. He pulled himself up and over the edge and just lay for a few seconds, catching his breath. He risked a glance back over the side and was momentarily stunned at just how far he had climbed. The side of the structure was now completely smooth, confirming his earlier suspicions that he wouldn't be getting back down the same way as he got up.

Wearily, he rose to his feet. In front of him was a circular step pyramid, similar in design to the one he had seen in Saggara, Egypt. It had been designed by the great ancient architect Imhotep to serve as the burial chamber for the Pharaoh Djoser, and was thought to be the inspiration for the great triangular pyramids that followed it. The rough stones that were piled upon one another in decreasing layers provided Jack with a much easier climb than the one he had just completed. Gingerly, he tested the first layer for strength and any hidden traps. Finding nothing, he cautiously began his ascent once more.

It took about half an hour of relatively easy climbing before Jack reached the top of the step pyramid. It looked to be about ten feet in diameter and in it's centre stood another stone alter, upon which rested a black stone tablet, identical to the one he had seen below in the main chamber of the structure.

As Jack took a step towards the alter, the echo of an explosion reverberated around the enormous cavern.

* * *

Ashley James ran for all she was worth as volleys of bullets whizzed past her in all directions. She had no idea what was friendly fire, and what wasn't, and she didn't care as long as none of them hit her. The massive archway entrance of the cylindrical building loomed enticingly ahead of her as she put on a burst of speed. She could almost feel the heavy booted footsteps of Shane Schofield close behind her, his very presence reassuring, as her lungs began to burn from exertion, the sanctuary so close she felt she could almost reach out and touch it.

Suddenly Shane Schofield stumbled behind her, a slight gasp of pain escaping from him. She hesitated for a moment, ready to turn and assist him if needed.

"Keep going." He yelled to her through gritted teeth. Ashley could see a darkening stain spreading out over the side of his right leg as he limped along behind her, barely slowing his pace.

As they finally reached the enormous entrance, a massive explosion threw them both off their feet and propelled them through the doorway, landing heavily on the stone flooring inside.


	24. Chapter 24

"Incoming!" Zoe yelled as she hit the deck hard for the second time that day, Maddie landing heavily beside her just as the six RPG's (Rocket propelled grenades) impacted in to the rock walls around them.

Both women instinctively covered their heads as rubble and debris from the fractured mountainside began to tumble on top of them. The boulders that had previously offered them some cover were shattered into smithereens by the impact of the grenades and now peppered machine gun fire added to the danger already present from the falling rocks.

Ironically, the landslide that was covering them managed to provide some protection from the man made onslaught, and brought them some precious time to try and think of a way out of what was looking like a hopeless situation.

"Any ideas?" Maddie yelled to Zoe above the racket surrounding them, wincing in pain as a large piece of shattered rock face bounced off her shoulder blade.

"None whatsoever, you?" Zoe answered. "But if we stay here, we're gonna end up as pancakes."

"Yeap, and if we make a run for it, we're gonna end up as swiss cheese." Maddie countered.

"Looks like we're screwed either way." Zoe shrugged in resignation. "Oh well, it was nice knowing you Maddie."

"Don't lie," Maddie quipped. "You know you don't like me very much, and I don't know about you, but I don't feel much like dying here today."

"You're right, I don't like you at all, I was just trying to be nice." Zoe countered." But I'm open to any and all suggestions at this point." She flinched as a bullet ricocheted off a nearby piece of rock.

"Have you still got that C4 on you?" Maddie asked suddenly.

"Yes, why? What do you have in mind?"

"Well we can't stay where we are, and we can't stand up either, agreed?"

"Agreed."

"Well then, the only course of action is to go down."

"Down?"Zoe stared at her companion incredulously. "Are you insane? There's nothing down there but a big black hole and I for one do not really want to find out how far down the bottom is."

"Trust me, this is going to work." Maddie grinned as she outlined her plan in greater detail.

* * *

Every part of her body screamed in protest as Dr Ashley James dragged herself up off the stone floor of the monolith and away from the open archway door to the relative safety provided by it's massive stone walls.

Her head was still spinning a little from the after effects of the stun grenade and her ears were ringing from the explosion, adding to her muddled state. She became aware of movement next to her, and turned her head to see Captain Shane Schofield crawling towards her, a trail of blood seeping behind him.

"Oh my god, Captain Schofield," She exclaimed."You're injured. You should let me take a look at that."

"It's just a scratch." Schofield tried to reassure her, but she wasn't listening.

"I may hold a Doctorate in Anthropology Captain." She lectured him as she tore the material surrounding the wound so that she could get a better view of the injury, "But to obtain that, I had to also study human anatomy, and undergo similar training that medical doctors undertake in their first two years of study, so I can assure you that I am more than capable of attending to this so called scratch."

"Ok, ok, you win Doc, enough with the speeches already. Ouch, you sadist." Scarecrow winced in pain as the redhead probed the wound, trying to ascertain if the bullet was still lodged in his leg.

"Oh sorry, did that hurt Captain?" She asked, not looking up from her task. "Well, the good news is that the bullet appears to have gone straight through, and has missed the femoral arteries, so you're not going to bleed to death."

"Oh goody." Schofield hissed through gritted teeth as she continued her examination.

"We're going to need to get it covered and bandaged as soon as possible." She stated, and started to remove the light jacket she was wearing with the intention of tearing it up in to strips for just that purpose.

"No need for that Doctor." Zahirs booming voice came from close behind her, making her jump. He handed her a small first aid kit. "Are you going to live Scarecrow?"

"I think so, that is if the good Doc here doesn't kill me." Schofield grinned ruefully at the big man before yelping in pain as a liberal dose of antiseptic poured on to the wound.

"Quit your whining, you big baby." Ashley commanded as she expertly dressed the injury and quickly applied bandages. "There you are, good as new."

"Thanks Doc, I think." The crackling of his radio immediately caught the attention of the small group.

"Scarecrow, you copy?" A scratchy voice came over the airwaves.

"I'm here Angel, go ahead. Over." He answered.

"We're kinda pinned down over here, in more ways than one, over."

Pooh bear reached down a strong arm and pulled Schofield to his feet effortlessly, as they both made their way to where Astro was standing point guard. The situation that confronted them looked dire.

"Are you both ok? Over" He asked.

"Just fine and dandy sweetheart. Over" Came the flippant answer. " I do have an idea of how to get out of this, just wanted to run it past you because Zoe thinks I'm trying to kill her, over"

Schofield, Astro and Pooh listened to the pretty brunettes plan in disbelief.


	25. Chapter 25

Jack West Jnr waited for the reverberations of the explosion to cease before he gingerly continued his journey towards the alter. A mixed path of dark and light stones marked the route, and Jack chose to tread only on the light ones, still following the clues that Lily had deciphered.

Once again he had to clear his mind of the noises from the battle that was now obviously raging below, his concern for his loved ones could cloud his judgment and he couldn't afford to be distracted.

The light stones were becoming further apart the closer he got to the alter, but Jack didn't want to risk straying from the path that had so far proven steady. He was so close to the alter now, only another couple of metres and he would reach his objective.

As he leapt to the stone that was next closest to the alter, he overbalanced slightly, his left foot lightly grazing the edge of the dark stone next to him. This slight error began a chain reaction as the circular pyramid began to implode on itself.

The time for caution had come to an end as Jack gathered all his strength for one final leap. He propelled himself forward, just managing to grasp the underside of the alter with his artificial hand as the stones that had supported him only seconds before crumbled in on themselves, leaving a gaping chasm below him, now filled with the rubble that had made up the top pyramid. The alter stood alone in the centre of the chamber, supported by a single stone column that descended deep into the bowels of the enormous structure itself.

Jack wearily hauled himself on to the top of the alter and reached for the stone tablet that lay at its centre.

* * *

"You ready for this?" Maddie grinned at Zoe after the last of the explosives had been laid in place.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Zoe grimaced.

"Ok, light her up then." The dark haired woman seemed to almost be enjoying their predicament as Zoe struck a match and lit the fuse that led to the small amount of C4 that she had stashed in her backpack in case of emergency.

"Get ready to catch Scarecrow. Over" Maddie yelled in to her mike as Zoe grabbed on to her and she fired the gas propelled maghook towards the far end of the bridge that led to the central structure the rest of the team were sheltering in.

The metal claws scraped against the stone as Schofield shot out from behind the wall to grab the end of the maghook and secure it around the wall and the first window, hooking it back on to itself for extra support while Pooh Bear laid down a volley of shots to provide him with cover.

"All clear Angel, just keep your head down. Over" He yelled in to the mike.

"Oh, he does care." Came the flippant answer as he hoped and prayed that the hook would hold their weight.

The C4 exploded in the crack between the ledge and the cavern wall that had been created by the RPG. Just then, a group of six enemy soldiers erupted from the entranceway of the tunnel, guns blazing. The ledge creaked and groaned ominously under the additional weight.

"Here we go," Maddie whispered to Zoe. "Hold on tight."

The stone ledge gave a final dying shudder, then tumbled in to the abyss below, taking with it the six hapless men, screaming in horror as they fell into the dark unknown. Maddie and Zoe tumbled headlong beside them, until they reached the end of the metal rope of the maghook with a sudden jolt.

Seconds later they crashed heavily in to the wall of the central structure.

The violence of the abrupt collision caused Zoe to lose her grip and she felt herself starting to fall again. Quicker than lightning, Maddie let go the vice like hold with one of her hands that she had on the maghook and made a grab for Zoe's wrist, just managing to snare it before the pretty blonde fell out of reach. The strain of supporting a dead weight was immediately evident, as Maddie felt her fingers begin to tremble.

"You're going to have to climb up me Zoe." She yelled through gritted teeth.

Zoe nodded in understanding, reaching up with her free hand to grip the belt around Maddie's waist, and slowly but surely made the perilous climb, grabbing the mag hook handle as soon as she could. She depressed the trigger and the winch mechanism started to slowly move them upwards towards the tower window.

Pooh Bear continued to lay down covering fire as what was left of the enemy contingent continued their assault from the tunnel entrance.

"Ok, we're almost there." Maddie yelled in to her throat mike as Scarecrow and Astro leaned out the tower window and grabbed both women, hauling them unceremoniously through the opening to safety.

Exhausted from their effort, they lay breathless side by side on the stone floor of the structure.

"That was close." Maddie whispered, a small grin forming around her mouth.

"You saved my life." Zoe stated, staring at her sister in law with a new found respect. "Catching me like that could have taken us both down, but you did it anyway, why would you do that?"

"You're my team mate." Maddie said with a slight shrug. "Besides, Jack would never have forgiven me if I let anything happen to you. I guess this is as good a time as any to call a truce?"

Zoe smiled at the dark headed woman and held out her hand to shake on the halt to hostilities.

"Well, are you two just going to lie there all day making nice or are you going to come and take turns at taking pot shots at our friends on the other side of the bridge." Scarecrow grinned down at the two women. He offered a hand to Zoe to help her up. As soon as she was on her feet, she rushed to Lily and engulfed the little girl in a big hug.

Schofield then bent and offered his hand to Maddie. As he lifted her to her feet, he pulled her in close to him.

"You are crazy, you know that?" He whispered to her, his eyes locked with hers.

"Maybe, but it's all part of my charm." She grinned at him. "Besides, it worked, didn't it?"

"Yeah, it worked alright. Just don't do it again." He muttered, giving in to the overwhelming urge that had been plaguing him since that morning back in Washington, capturing her sweet mouth in a kiss that was a mixture of pent up desire and immense relief.


End file.
